Faced with the fighting in Gaza, Doctors Without Borders is forced to evacuate one of the last hospitals still open

The NGO was forced to leave one of the last structures in the center of the enclave, which had become a risk zone for patients and staff.

In Gaza, hospitals are closing one after the other. In the center of the enclave, Doctors Without Borders has just withdrawn from the last functioning structure. The fighting is getting dangerously close to Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el Balah, which could collapse like Al-Shifa hospital further north.

Nabil is a privileged witness to the panic that affected Al-Aqsa hospital on the weekend of January 7. He has been living there in a tent for more than 15 days. He says, via Whatsapp, that caregivers and patients have deserted: “There are wounded people who have been moved on donkeys! Can you imagine! With pins, etc… Everyone has been moved because they are afraid. The bombings are around the hospital.”

An evacuation order sent by the Israeli army

In recent days, the fighting has moved closer to the hospital. Intensive care and buildings were hit by gunfire. An evacuation order was sent by the Israeli army for the surrounding area. The 48 Médecins Sans Frontières staff then left the premises, explains Stephen Goriely, MSF Belgium head of mission. “We know from experience that remaining in a hospital when fighting is taking place in close quarters is extremely dangerous for the teams and for the patients. And this is one of the reasons why we immediately left the hospital,”he assures.

Despite everything, there are still staff in the Deir el Balah hospital. But conditions are deteriorating significantly, deplores Sean Cassey, emergencies coordinator for the World Health Organization, in a video. “Only 30% of the teams remain because of the evacuation order, because of the fear of being injured or killed in the sector with fighting very close. This hospital accommodates dozens, sometimes even hundreds of injured daily, with very few doctors and very few nurses”, he notes.

The only structure in the center of the enclave

Al-Aqsa Hospital is the only structure in central Gaza. The lack of protection by the Israeli army increases insecurity according to Gemma Connell, who works for the UN humanitarian coordination. “This hospital is the only lifeline for people in the middle of the enclave, the only place where we can access services and save their lives. Inside this hospital, we have children who come having just been injured by shrapnel, we have a woman who had to wait 6 days to have access to treatment.”

In Gaza, hospitals have become risk areas: there are only nine remaining that are partially functioning in the southern part, where the vast majority of the population is currently located.