Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –
In early November 2023, we made a request to Israel to bring fridges and freezers into Gaza. These are essential for storing medicines and vaccines, which require low temperatures, such as insulin for diabetes, oxytocin to reduce post-partum haemorrhaging, and suxamethonium, used in anaesthesia to induce muscle paralysis. It was not until April – five months later – that the request was approved. If all goes well, the fridges and freezers will arrive in Gaza this month.
These are not the only essential items in the queue. We are still waiting for approval to bring in generators, oxygen cylinders, ultrasound scanners, external defibrillators, intravenous sodium chloride solutions, essential for rehydrating patients and diluting drugs… The list is as long as it is alarming.
We have had no response from Israel to a request made months ago for the shipment of essential solar-powered equipment, including electrical systems for medical facilities, water pumps and water desalination systems. Satellite telecommunications systems and MSF vehicles – vital for keeping our teams safe and enabling them to get to where they are needed – have also been refused, restricted or seriously delayed.
