GAZA/RAFAH (IRIN) -- As Israel continues to bomb hundreds of targets in the Gaza Strip, hospitals are facing a shortage of medical supplies.
Pre-existing shortages are being exacerbated by heightened need and by the border policies of the Egyptian government, which continues to limit entry into Gaza.
Gaza's Ministry of Health has announced a state of emergency, with the danger of acute shortages of basic medication. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health, said the needs would soon become critical.
"We are already facing a severe shortage - 35 to 40 percent - of needed medicines and disposables, which impacts the treatment of the growing number of injuries because of the current escalation," he told IRIN.
According to the World Health Organization, 30 percent of the essential drug list and half the disposable medical supplies were out of stock in Gaza - even before the crisis.
Together with WHO, the Ministry has appealed for $60 million to urgently cover out of stock medical supplies and medical referrals out of Gaza. more
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