jlk – Amidst the roar of conflict and the silence of Ramadan nights, doctors in Gaza struggle against unimaginable limitations. With dim lighting and scarce medical equipment, they remain faithful to their Hippocratic oath.
“We work with what we have,” said Dr. Amani, wiping sweat mixed with dust from her face. “But what we have is very little.”
In the deserted hospital corridors, the call to prayer echoes, reminding that it’s time to break fast. Yet, for these doctors, iftar remains but a dream. They continue working, attending to patient after patient, tirelessly, without complaint.
“We fast not only from food, but also from the hope of sufficient aid,” said a nurse, as the sunset no longer brings relief but rather mounting tasks.
From the hospital floors in northern Gaza, doctors operate on injured children, while others languish in “horrific” conditions. Amidst severe shortages, they confront “hundreds of trauma cases every day”.
“This morning we woke up to find four patients dead in the ICU. One of them was 10 years old, and his mother refused to leave his bedside, refusing to believe that her child was gone,” expressed Dr. Samer, an orthopedic surgeon⁴.
These stories are not just narratives; they are bitter realities. Behind every statistic and figure, there are lives dependent on weary yet relentless hands.
“These people, they just need help. They just want this all to end… No one talks politics here. They just talk about food and water and shelter, and they just want the war to end,” said Dr. Samer⁴.
With conditions deteriorating, “famine looming anytime between now and May 2024” in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the latest report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)⁸. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described this situation as “entirely man-made humanitarian disaster” and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire⁸.
In the darkness of Ramadan nights, with hospital lights dimming and stomachs empty, doctors in Gaza stand tall, unsung heroes. They are silent witnesses to immeasurable resilience and courage, continuing to fight even as the world seems to turn away.
“There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip. This is a war against children. Against their childhood and their future. Ceasefire now,” urged UNRWA on social media⁹.
In every drop of sweat and every drop of blood, they inscribe a tale of heroism to be remembered for all time. A tale that, hopefully, will not only be a historical record but also a call for humanity to rise and act.