This week, Aimee Shalan, CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), gave evidence to the parliamentary International Development Committee on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The evidence session was held for the Committee to hear current assessments of the humanitarian emergency in Gaza and to consider how the Department for International Development (DFID), and the UK Government, can support Gaza to progress in the short, medium and longer term.
Aimee spoke on a panel alongside Rachel Evers, Director of Legal Affairs at the UN Relief and Works Agency- the UN agency responsible for humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees-, and Jamie McGoldrick, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
Aimee opened by describing what she and UK medics involved in MAP’s limb reconstruction mission witnessed on 14 May. That day, in the context of the “Great March of Return” protests, 60 Palestinians were killed and 2,770 injured by Israeli forces. It was the highest casualty toll in Gaza in a single day since Israel’s 2014 offensive.
“The 14th was an extraordinary and shattering day…There was a real concern that if the shooting continued at the same level the hospital system would absolutely collapse”.
“We believe it is a reasonable assumption that there are, at present, 1,200 patients in Gaza that are awaiting orthoplastic treatment for the treatment of open fractures to their legs as a result of gunshot wounds. These injuries will require 12 to 18 months of outpatient care. If they are untreated it will go on to chronic osteomyelitis, deformity, pain and grossly reduced mobility”.
Error module embedded not found
Aimee also described restrictions which make MAP’s day-to-day work difficult in Gaza and the barriers patients and medical workers face in exiting Gaza for urgent medical care or training.
Error module embedded not found
Aimee closed by stressing that any response to Gaza’s humanitarian emergency needs to invest in Palestinian-led infrastructure and drew upon the example of the MAP- supported limb reconstruction unit at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
Error module embedded not found
To watch the meeting in full click here.