Muhannad Hadi During Gaza Visit: "People Here Feel Like They Are Waiting for Death"

"This misery must end. It is time for peace. It is time to give people hope. Enough of this atrocity," said Muhannad Hadi, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, following a two-day visit to Gaza. During his visit, Hadi toured several areas, hospitals, and shelters, "I have seen people in shelters who are lacking the basic services and lacking food".

Speaking to UN News in Gaza, the UN official noted: "Those who do not die from bullets or from the bombs. They may die from the lack of proper health care or the lack of food or safe drinking water."

Hadi observed the dire state of healthcare in Gaza, which has been severely impacted by the ongoing conflict for over a year. During a visit to a medical point in Nuseirat camp, he found that the mobile clinic was merely a tent. One healthcare worker he met described the situation for maternity care: "Imagine a woman giving birth in a tent. The only hospital in the area providing maternity services in a building is Nasser Hospital."

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Hadi spoke with staff, patients, and individuals recovering from injuries, including children. Hospital officials explained that Nasser Hospital has become the substitute for Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, which was previously the backbone of Gaza's healthcare system.

Worsening Conditions

Following his visit to Nasser Hospital, Hadi described the deteriorating situation: "The health sector in Gaza is collapsing. I have seen mothers sitting next to their children wondering if they can ever provide them with the medicines that they need, with the medical care that they need. As a humanitarian worker and a father, witnessing these children suffer due to a lack of medicines and medical attention is deeply painful."

Despite the despair, Hadi praised the commitment of healthcare workers: "I have not seen such dedication anywhere in my professional life. They are doing their utmost with the few resources they have." He added: "I saw patients in immense pain, suffering from a lack of necessary medicines. This must end. People here feel like they are waiting for death."

During his hospital visit, Hadi also witnessed the structural damage to hospital buildings. In the dialysis unit, he met patients who traveled long distances for their sessions, braving the challenges of ongoing conflict, restricted mobility, and destroyed roads.

Severe Shortages of Basic Supplies

The Humanitarian Coordinator's two-day visit to Gaza focused on the healthcare sector. On the second day, he visited Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. Speaking to journalists, he highlighted that the hospital's capacity was 199 beds, but it now accommodates 550 patients.

"The situation is catastrophic overall. The healthcare sector is struggling like every other sector in Gaza," Hadi said. "I listened to people's tragic stories. I saw children with amputated limbs and severe human suffering."

He pointed to a lack of the most basic supplies in hospitals, including bed linens, medical staff uniforms, and sterilization equipment.

Meeting with Youth

"Children will need extensive psychological support to rebuild their lives," said a young Palestinian woman Hadi met at OCHA’s Gaza office on the second day of his visit. The young woman, who studied fine arts, shared how her social media pages now depict the daily suffering of Gaza's children instead of art and exhibitions.

A high school senior described how his life has been "put on hold" since the outbreak of the war. He noted that around 100,000 high school students are unable to continue their studies or plan for the future. "My classmates who moved to Egypt have graduated and moved on with their lives, while I am still stuck in the same grade," he said.