MOSCOW, Russia: There are currently more than 100,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip, 17,000 of whom require urgent evacuation, said Palestinian Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Observer to the United Nations (UN) in Vienna, Salah Abdel Shafi, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
The 17,000 need to be urgently evacuated from Gaza because there is no way to treat them locally.
Out of 36 hospitals, only eight are functioning; the rest are either completely or largely destroyed, Salah said.
The Palestinian ambassador added that there is an acute shortage of medical supplies and medicine in the Gaza Strip. On top of that, local infrastructure has been destroyed.
Earlier, Salah said that about 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed, with more than a million people living in tents on the street.
The Gaza administration said that Israel is blocking essential supplies like heating, insulation, sanitary cabins, tents, mattresses, and blankets.
With cold weather and rain, the crisis has worsened for about 288,000 families living in harsh conditions.
In early November, Gaza authorities said Israel permitted just 4,400 trucks carrying food, fuel and other goods into the strip since the ceasefire with the Palestinian movement Hamas began, only about 28 per cent of the agreed aid.
Israel continues to block more than 350 food items, including meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and some dairy products. – BERNAMA-Sputnik/RIA Nov
