FULL RAW AUDIO:

Paulo Milasenio – Emergency Coordinator

The closure of Rafah crossing point is having huge implications in the life of people from Gaza Strip.

Also, in the humanitarian response capacities, one of the main challenges is the lack of fuel, because this is a central means for our work and to continue without fuel would be a critical situation because without it, we cannot run our generators and guarantee electricity to all the health facilities during the entire day.

We had to reduce the water trucking distribution system because truck owners cannot move their trucks. The water desalination plants are producing water in minimum quantities to ensure that the plants can keep working, because if they stop them, it will not be possible to make them work, properly, after that. Distribution of water from these water plants has been suspended due to lack of fuel also.

We also launched a contingency plan for our movements. The movement of our staff and visits to the health facilities have been reduced to minimal because also the lack of fuel is putting us in a very critical situation.

The medical staff is moving around in in a minimal way. On the other hand, we are running out of supplies and interventions in the medical facilities will start to be compromised very soon as we will not have enough medicines or other necessary stuff that we need to run our medical facilities accordingly.

We have testimonies of people who are starting to run out of food, water and essential items they need on a daily basis. We can also see the lack of materials for other critical situations, related to the lack of tents or materials to be distributed for populations that are moving or who have been forced to be displaced from Rafah city to the new locations. And the lack of plastic sheeting or other materials that are essential for them to build their shelters.

Another critical situation is related to the closure of Rafah border crossing point for people. We have our staff, medical staff and other support positions who are not able to enter the Gaza Strip. We are working with the colleagues that we are inside, stuck, but we don’t have the capacity to turn over. It will start to create a lack of capacities and lack of a proper response from our medical teams to the patients and to the population that is in need. And also considering that their needs are increasing more and more.