Red Cross President Describes Gaza as ‘Hell on Earth’ As Hospital Supplies Running Out

New Delhi: The president of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, on Friday described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “hell on earth” and warned that the organization’s field hospital would run out of essential medical supplies within two weeks if aid does not arrive soon.

A Dire Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

Spoljaric’s stark assessment came as she spoke to Reuters from the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva. "We are now finding ourselves in a situation that I have to describe as hell on earth... People don't have access to water, electricity, food, in many parts," she said.

The situation is made even more dire by the ongoing blockade on humanitarian aid. Since March 2, Israel has blocked the entry of aid trucks into Gaza, citing security concerns. Humanitarian organizations, however, are sounding alarms over the growing lack of resources.

Red Cross Field Hospital Facing Critical Shortage

Spoljaric warned that, unless new supplies arrive soon, the Red Cross's field hospital in Gaza will run out of essential medical supplies within two weeks. "For six weeks, nothing has come in, so we will, in a couple of weeks’ time, run out of supplies that we need to keep the hospital going," she said. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also confirmed that critical supplies, such as antibiotics and blood bags, are in short supply.

Worsening Conditions for Gaza’s Hospitals

The healthcare system in Gaza is already on the brink of collapse. According to WHO's emergency health coordinator in Gaza, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, 22 out of the 36 hospitals in the enclave are now only minimally functional. As a result, medical professionals are unable to keep up with the overwhelming number of casualties and the increasing need for medical care.

The safety of humanitarian workers operating in Gaza remains a significant concern. Spoljaric emphasized the dangers faced by those attempting to deliver aid, saying, “It is extremely dangerous for the population to move, but it's especially also dangerous for us to operate.” 

The threat to aid workers became tragically evident earlier this year when the bodies of 15 emergency and aid workers, including eight members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, were discovered in a mass grave in southern Gaza. The U.N. and Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of being responsible for the deaths, while the Israeli military claimed that the deaths occurred due to a “sense of threat” after six Hamas militants were allegedly spotted nearby.

Call for an Immediate Ceasefire

In light of the deteriorating humanitarian crisis, Spoljaric called for an immediate ceasefire to not only address the suffering in Gaza but also to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas. "The situation is untenable, and we need immediate action to end this suffering," she said, stressing the need for international intervention to bring the ongoing conflict to a halt.

The conflict in Gaza began in October 2023 when Hamas militants killed over 1,200 Israelis and took around 250 hostages in a raid on Israel. In response, Israel launched an extensive military campaign against Gaza, which has led to the deaths of more than 50,800 Palestinians and the widespread destruction of the enclave's infrastructure.