September 5, 2024 • 3 min read
(05 Sept 2024) As the Gaza conflict extends into its tenth month, the extreme suffering and human toll remains devastating. According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people, or nine in ten across the Gaza Strip, are internally displaced, with some individuals forced to relocate for the tenth time. The Gaza Ministry of Health (MoH) reports that over 40,000 people have been killed, and another 92,400+ have been injured since the war began, affecting nearly one in every seventeen residents. The scale of destruction is immense, with an estimated 59% of buildings damaged or destroyed, including over 215,000 homes.
In December 2023, GOAL, which already has a significant footprint and extensive humanitarian aid programming in the Middle East announced the first phase of a partnership with Palestinian NGO, Taawon. During phase one, Taawon was sourcing, purchasing, and delivering food parcels, hygiene kits, water, and medication to displaced families and delivering fuel into Gaza. Building on this initial collaboration, GOAL and Taawon are continuing their commitment to providing life-saving aid in Gaza.
This continued partnership will focus on funding the operation of two existing medical stations that will offer essential healthcare services to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Southern Gaza. These stations, operated by the local AWDA Health and Community Association, will employ 12 medical staff, including a general doctor, obstetrician, nurses, laboratory technician, pharmacist, data entry personnel, and security officer. Taawon will buy medicines and disposables from local suppliers, who import products from the West Bank to Gaza.
Over the next six months from the beginning of Sept 2024, these medical stations aim to provide 6,000 health consultations and treatments, directly benefiting the same number of individuals and offering critical services, including,
- urgent curative care for conditions like diarrheal disease in children.
- medication for chronic illnesses.
- nursing and wound care.
- sexual and reproductive health services.
- laboratory services.
- hospital referrals as needed.
In welcoming this new GOAL–Taawon partnership, Colin Lee, GOAL’s Director of Programme Operations, said,
“In the wake of the unparalleled horror in Gaza, where nearly the entire population is internally displaced, the healthcare system remains on the absolute brink, entering the next phase of our partnership with Taawon is crucial. This strengthened collaboration will allow us to continue delivering critical aid to the most vulnerable communities under extremely challenging conditions.”
In tandem, Dr Tareq Emtairah, Director General of Taawon, added:
“Our renewed partnership with GOAL is vital for maintaining the delivery of essential health services to some of those impacted by the ongoing attack on Gaza. This continued collaboration strengthens our ability to work with local partners and adapt to the catastrophic situation in Gaza which suffers from the near-total destruction of its healthcare infrastructure. Our work on the ground in Gaza provides critical support and relief to some of the communities enduring extreme human suffering. But a staggering amount of work is still needed to bring relief to Gaza and its people. We are committed to working with GOAL and other global partners to lead and coordinate emergency healthcare interventions in Gaza.”
GOAL and Taawon’s ongoing partnership underscore the importance of collaborating with local partners to address the needs of highly vulnerable populations in extremely fragile and complex contexts like Gaza. This renewed partnership enables us to adapt to the evolving situation on the ground, ensuring that essential services consistently reach those affected by the conflict.
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Please see: https://www.taawon.org/en
