Gaza Medical Staff Face Exhaustion Amid Severe Food Crisis

In the besieged Gaza Strip, medical professionals are increasingly finding themselves unable to provide adequate care due to severe malnutrition and hunger. Reports from multiple sources indicate that healthcare workers, who are already strained by the ongoing conflict, are struggling to fulfill their duties as they face extreme exhaustion from lack of food.

According to Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, the situation has reached a critical point. "They are in a state of extreme exhaustion. Some have fainted in the operating rooms," he stated, emphasizing that medical staff have not received any substantial aid or meals in over 48 hours (The Guardian, July 23, 2025). This dire lack of resources is severely impacting the care that can be provided to the injured and malnourished civilians in hospitals that are already overwhelmed.

Reports from the Arabic Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) corroborate the claims of medical staff. Many physicians, who requested anonymity due to fears of military reprisal, expressed their desperation. “Today I have been on a 24-hour shift,” one physician recounted, highlighting the lack of food provided during their shifts. "At [the hospital] they are supposed to give us some rice for each shift, but today they told us there was none. My colleague and I treated 60 neurosurgery patients, and right now I can’t even stand,” he added.

The impact of malnutrition is not limited to healthcare providers; patients are increasingly suffering from complications related to inadequate nutrition. A surgeon at Nasser Medical Complex noted a significant rise in cases of gastroenteritis and low blood sugar, which are directly linked to the ongoing hunger crisis in the region (The Guardian, July 23, 2025).

Dr. Abu Selmia further reported that 21 children had tragically died in the past three days due to malnutrition and starvation, stressing that these patients required specialized nutritional support that is currently unavailable. "Some die in their tents and homes, and no one knows about it," he lamented.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached alarming levels, with Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, confirming reports of healthcare workers fainting due to extreme hunger and exhaustion. The United Nations has reported that since May, over 1,000 individuals have died while attempting to access food from humanitarian distribution centers, which are often guarded by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (The Guardian, July 23, 2025).

The healthcare system in Gaza has been devastated by 23 months of conflict, with a World Health Organization report indicating that at least 94% of hospitals in the region have been damaged or destroyed, leaving only 19 of the 36 hospitals operational (World Health Organization, May 2025).

Muath Alser, director of Healthcare Worker Watch, a Palestinian medical organization, stated, “In recent days, healthcare workers in Gaza have collectively reported unprecedented levels of food insecurity, lowered immunity, repeated infections, severe fatigue, and frequent fainting during surgeries and rescue missions. We cannot afford mere condemnation. We need urgent action.”

In response to the escalating crisis, the IDF has claimed to be facilitating the distribution of humanitarian aid to ensure that hospitals can continue to operate effectively. They also noted that they are conducting thorough examinations and reviews of incidents where civilians were harmed at distribution facilities (IDF Statement, July 2025).

As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the call for urgent international intervention and support becomes increasingly critical. The implications of this crisis extend beyond immediate healthcare concerns, potentially affecting the broader stability and recovery of the region in the future.