The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is set to worsen, with thousands of lives at risk as winter approaches and civilians remain without shelter, putting their health in grave danger.
Living in tents and makeshift shelters ill-suited for winter, the health and well-being of Gaza’s civilian population is in serious jeopardy. The cold and rain could trigger a surge in waterborne diseases, respiratory illnesses, and bacterial infections.
Nearly two million people are crammed into an area of only 15 square miles in Gaza, roughly the size of Oxford, where overcrowding and inadequate shelter, combined with poor sanitation, pose severe health risks. Families already struggling with relentless airstrikes, shelling, and evacuation orders now face the increased threat of winter illnesses and deteriorating living conditions.
Concerns from NHS medics for the people of Gaza
“Many people in Gaza have been forced to flee their homes multiple times over the last year, simply to avoid being bombed. Soon, they will face the biting cold with little more than the clothes on their backs,” said Paula Tobin, a senior NHS nurse who leads the UK-Med field hospital in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis.
Dr Clare Frost, an NHS GP from Wales, explained: “With winter around the corner, we are worried about a surge in communicable diseases like respiratory tract infections and waterborne diseases. We just don’t have enough antibiotics. I have never seen such a lack of access to basic items needed to be a doctor.”
UK-Med has treated more than 200,000 people in Gaza so far and is one of the largest health actors in the Gaza Strip. To meet the anticipated surge in health needs at the onset of winter, the unfettered flow of medical aid into Gaza is urgently needed.
UK-Med Middle East Crisis Appeal
UK-Med has officially launched a Middle East Crisis Appeal in response to the growing humanitarian crisis in the region. With winter nearing, the need for urgent medical aid is escalating as vulnerable populations face worsening conditions due to conflict, displacement, and the onset of cold weather.
“The region is grappling with crises of immense scale, which will only worsen as winter brings cold and rain, intensifying the already desperate struggle for survival,” said David Wightwick CMG, CEO of UK-Med.
“At this critical moment as winter approaches, our medical teams remain committed to delivering lifesaving care wherever it is needed most.”
Through this appeal, UK-Med is seeking to raise critical funds to support its medical teams on the ground, providing lifesaving care, essential medical supplies, and emergency health services to those affected.
The Middle East Appeal aims to ensure that UK-Med can rapidly respond to the increasing health needs in the region, offering vital support to overwhelmed local health systems and addressing the immediate and long-term health challenges posed by the crises.
- £40 could buy a haemostatic bandage, used to stop catastrophic bleeding.
- £100 could buy a splint to stabilise limb fractures.
- £250 could buy a trauma first aid kit for serious bleeding and injuries
To donate, visit: https://www.uk-med.org/middle-east-crisis-appeal/
The following are available for interview (stills, b-roll are available for all):
- Dr Matthew Newport, NHS Anaesthetist, currently in Gaza. Dr Newport, from Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, has deployed four times to Gaza with UK-Med.
- Dr Clare Frost, NHS General Practitioner, currently in Gaza. Dr Frost, from Cardigan in Wales, leads the UK-Med field hospital in Deir el Balah.
- Dr Hareen de Silva, General Practitioner (formerly NHS), who led the UK-Med field hospital in Deir el Balah and who returned to the UK in September. Dr de Silva, from Ilford, London, spent six weeks in Gaza.
- Paula Tobin, NHS Senior Nurse, currently in Gaza. Paula is from Plymouth in Devon and has deployed twice to Gaza with UK-Med. She now leads the UK-Med surgical field hospital in Al Mawasi.
- Dr Andrew Kent, NHS trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, who was part of UK-Med’s surgical team that worked at Al Aqsa Hospital. After four weeks in Gaza, Dr Kent returned to his hometown of Inverness, Scotland, in February.
For interviews with medics, both those currently deployed in Gaza and those who have returned, contact UK-Med’s media team at media@uk-med.org.
Notes to Editors
- Born of the NHS, for nearly 30-years UK-Med has been saving lives in emergencies.
- UK-Med is the only UK non-governmental organisation to be verified as an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) by the World Health Organization. With a roster of more than 1,000 NHS and international medics, UK-Med draws on NHS staff from trusts across the UK to support its emergency responses.
- UK-Med’s roster of on-call humanitarians comprises NHS clinicians, international medics and humanitarian aid professionals with expertise in logistics, security, and WASH. Its teams are ready to respond to global health crises at a moment’s notice, 24/7, 365 days a year.
- The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) helps fund UK-Med’s humanitarian response in Gaza, including its two field hospitals.
- The number of clinicians deployed at any one time from the NHS is very small, representing a small proportion of the total NHS workforce. Clinicians joining a UK-Med response either take annual leave or study leave, to ensurethat NHS service delivery is not interrupted. In some circumstances, funders such as FCDO will pay for their regular roles to be backfilled to ensure there is no additional pressure on the NHS.
