Christopher Lokieur, the Secretary-General of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has described the humanitarian and health situation in Gaza as catastrophic.
In a press statement released today, Friday, Lokieur highlighted the perilous conditions faced by healthcare workers in the region, stating, “There is neither security nor safety for healthcare workers while performing their duties.”
Lokieur criticized Israel for politicizing humanitarian aid, accusing it of using aid as a tool for political propaganda and blocking the entry of essential supplies into Gaza.
He further emphasized that “International humanitarian law guarantees the entry of aid and ensures the life and safety of healthcare and humanitarian workers, yet this has not been realized.”
The statement underscores the severe challenges faced by humanitarian organizations in providing necessary services and protection in conflict zones like Gaza, where political and military dynamics heavily impact humanitarian efforts.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, several other Egyptian ministries, and the Egyptian Red Crescent, announced the launch of an initiative to provide urgent support to over 100,000 of the most needy children, their caregivers, and medically evacuated patients in Egypt.
This initiative, supported by a €5.4 million grant from the European Union, aims to enhance basic services in the host communities in North Sinai and the neighboring areas.
According to UNICEF, since the onset of the current conflict in Gaza, Egypt has played a crucial role in providing medical care and humanitarian aid with support from numerous partners including UNICEF.
The Civil Defense in Gaza announced that at least 18 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced individuals. The Israeli military stated it targeted militants present there.
According to Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal, “For the fifth time, the Israeli occupation forces bombed the Ja’ouni School run by UNRWA, killing 18 citizens, including two UN agency employees, children, and women, with more than 18 others injured, some critically.”
