ActionAid Ireland issues urgent statement on the forced evacuation of its partner hospitals in Northern Gaza
ActionAid Ireland is gravely alarmed by the latest directive from the Israeli Army for the full evacuation of its partner hospital, Al-Awda, in Northern Gaza which will have dire impact on patients, medical staff, critically ill individuals in intensive care, pregnant women, and newborns in incubators.
The Al-Awda Hospital, one of three hospitals in Northern Gaza issued with forced evacuation orders, is a vital healthcare facility serving the most vulnerable in Gaza, and one of the only remaining hospitals providing maternity services across the Strip, Action Aid Ireland said.
Yesterday the Acting Director of Al-Awda Hospital, Dr Mohammad Salah, outlined the critical conditions staff and patients are enduring in the hospital in an interview on Drivetime on RTE Radio One. He spoke movingly of the suffering of patients, including children, due to lack of medication, and having to carry out operations without anaesthetic.
ActionAid Ireland CEO, Karol Balfe, said tonight: “The news we are hearing through Gaza’s Ministry of Health is that Al-Awda, the Indonesian and Kamal Adwan hospitals in northern Gaza have been ordered to evacuate. That they are being forced to do this under such perilous conditions is not only unconscionable, but also a violation of international humanitarian law.”
She said a Ministry of Health press conference also reported that Kamal Adwan Hospital is currently under siege, with certain buildings under fire. One paramedic was even detained while accompanying an evacuated patient, despite coordination efforts. She said these incidents mark a dangerous escalation and place further lives at risk.
Ms Balfe said: “This is the latest in a series of continuous attacks on healthcare workers and facilities across Palestine and Lebanon. Medical professionals, who risk their lives daily to provide essential care are being deliberately targeted, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. These attacks are a direct assault on the right to health and safety of civilians.”
She added: “ActionAid urgently calls for the immediate cessation of these actions and for the protection of all medical facilities, healthcare workers, and civilians. The international community must intervene now, ensuring that healthcare systems are protected, and that humanitarian aid can be delivered to those in desperate need.We stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza, healthcare workers and with our partner, Al-Awda Hospital, demanding immediate action to prevent further loss of life and uphold the fundamental right to healthcare in times of conflict.”
Read more here.
