Gaza: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported a significant rise in burn injuries in Gaza since Israel resumed its military actions on March 18. The organization’s medical teams on the ground have seen a sharp increase in patients with severe burns, most of whom are children.
The ongoing siege by Israeli forces has severely limited access to critical medical supplies and humanitarian aid. Basic necessities, including painkillers and other essential medicines, have been blocked, leaving many patients without adequate relief.
MSF described the painful process of treating burn victims, particularly children. Dr. Ahmad Abu Warda, an MSF medical activity manager at Nasser Hospital, shared the heart-wrenching reality, describing how children scream in agony as medical staff are forced to peel burnt fabric from their skin.
Despite the pleas of the children, medical teams must remove dead tissue to prevent infection and sepsis, which can be fatal. However, the lack of proper medical supplies and the overwhelming number of burn patients means that MSF staff can only delay the inevitable spread of infection, unable to offer proper care.
This situation underscores the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the combination of continued violence and the Israeli-imposed siege has left medical teams struggling to provide essential care. The MSF team warns that without immediate access to medical supplies, the suffering of burn victims will only continue to worsen.
