Speaking at the UN Security Council yesterday on the hospital attack, Martin Griffiths, United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, emphasized the collapse of the health system in Gaza.
UN Security Council held a meeting yesterday on the situation in Gaza. "All parties to armed conflict must protect civilians and civilian objects and take constant care to protect them from any attack. We have discussed this in almost every conflict, and this is no different." "The rest of the collapsed health system in Gaza has been unable to evacuate many people due to a lack of ambulances, staff and capacity," Griffiths said.
HEALTH WORKERS SHOWED EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE
"According to the World Health Organization, it was one of 20 hospitals in northern Gaza that was the subject of an announcement by the Israeli authorities that civilians should leave for their own safety," said Martin Griffiths. It's a terrible thought to think about the next morning," he said, noting that the hospital, which was at maximum capacity at the time of the attack, had a large number of patients, including children and women.
The hospital also sheltered displaced people, Griffiths said, noting that these people had nowhere else to go. "Dozens of health care workers and caregivers showed extraordinary, frankly extraordinary courage and determination to stay with their patients to do their job, and they were in the building," Griffiths said of the hospital staff who were attacked.
28 HEALTH WORKERS KILLED
Griffiths emphasized that the total loss of life surpassed the loss of life in the seven-week-long conflict in 2014. Noting that 28 health workers have been killed and 23 wounded in Gaza since October 7, Griffiths reminded that the UN has humanitarian aid supplies to transfer to the region.
'NO NEWS FROM HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE UNDER THE RUBBLE'
"More than 3,000 people have been killed and more than 12,500 wounded in Gaza," Coordinator Griffiths said, adding, "Hundreds of people are still trapped under the rubble and frankly we don't know how many people have fled north to south to escape danger.
