According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released on December 6, at least 12,000 patients in Gaza require emergency medical evacuation. These patients, suffering from injuries or chronic pathologies, must be transferred to hospitals in the region or in Europe to receive appropriate care. But they remain prisoners in the Palestinian enclave, hermetically sealed by Israel.
2 mins
With our special envoys in Jerusalem, Pierre Olivier, and in Gaza, Rami El Meghari
In the heart of the Maghazi refugee camp, in the strip of GazaWalaa Alrefa’ey lives near one of the few water points. This mother of three children is one of the many patients requiring medical evacuation. At 36, Walaa Alrefa’ey suffers from cancer of the brain gland: “ Can you imagine? A young mother like me, who stay there waiting for death next to his children? Sometimes, because of the tumor, the pain is so bad that I can’t see anything, I vomit, I’m afraid! I have to have emergency surgery and treatment. They give it to the Emirates or Turkey » she confides, her voice trembling.
“ There are still some painkillers at the European hospital, but it’s not enough… »
While waiting for a hypothetical evacuation, her husband, Abu Mohammad, is fighting to provide her with painkillers. These common and usually paltry remedies have become a rare and expensive commodity in the enclave: in Gaza, a month of treatment costs more than 600 euros, an exorbitant amount for the majority of residents.
“ Before, I found it easily, but now it’s very complicated, almost impossible and really very expensive. There are still some painkillers at the European hospital, but it’s not enough… “, he explains, exhausted.
Ahmad, 12, one of Walaa Alrefa’ey’s three children, hopes his mother will one day be able to receive treatment abroad. “ When I see my mom in this state, I feel so sad. Sometimes she is so exhausted that she lies down for days on end. »
Walaa Alrefa’ey is in 1,200th place on the WHO waiting list for medical evacuation.
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