The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed that the outbreak of the Corona virus in the Gaza Strip is "frightening, given the fragility of the health sector and the high population density in the sector."
"At the moment, only a few of the cases of corona in Gaza (17 cases) have been registered, but they need to remain on high alert," Daniel Duvilar, head of the ICRC delegation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said in a statement.
Duvilar said, in the statement, that the equipment provided by the cross will help in achieving this, but the sector needs more in order to be able to deal with the worst-case scenarios, if they arise. ICRC donations include a respirator, patient monitors, pacemakers, suction devices and pumps, which are major equipment for treating critical conditions from Corona patients.
In its statement, the ICRC announced the provision of a shipment of intensive care equipment to Gaza Strip hospitals to counter Corona.
The cross pointed out that before the pandemic occurred, Gaza was suffering on the health level, as the Strip contains about 110 beds for intensive care for adults, most of them are already occupied, and there are only 93 respirators in intensive care units, compared to two million people.
The ICRC is also working to improve infrastructure in the European Gaza Hospital, the main facility responsible for treating Covid-19 cases in the Gaza Strip, as it builds an infection control facility in the hospital and rehabilitates the water treatment plant. It also plans to make contributions to personal protective equipment to ensure that all employees at the facility are adequately protected.
The statement stated that the International Committee of the Red Cross donated to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in both Gaza and Ramallah, shipments of hygiene kits, and protective clothing such as surgical masks and protective glasses.
It is worth noting that the Palestinian Red Crescent Society operates ambulance services in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in addition to the 101 emergency call center.
"National Societies stand at the forefront when we speak of fighting Covid-19, they are doing amazing work under exceptional and very difficult circumstances. And we stand side by side with the Palestine Red Crescent Society at this moment and we desperately need that," added Mr de Vilar.
As part of its efforts to combat Covid-19, the ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies recently launched an international appeal for US $ 823 million in funding to fight Covid-19, of which $ 256 million was for the International Commission to Combat Virus in Conflict-Affected Countries , Including about $ 9 million USD to Israel and the Occupied Territories.
