Doctors Without Borders on disastrous conditions at Gaza food distribution sites

CGTN Europe

CGTN Europe spoke to Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, Doctors Without Borders Emergency Coordinator based in Gaza.

Transcript

00:00Well, let's get more now from Aitor Zabal-Gogoskoa, who is from Doctors Without Borders, MSF,

00:06and he joins us now from Gaza. Thank you so much for being with us today.

00:11Clearly a very dire situation. Our correspondent was just outlining for us.

00:16Just first of all, if you could describe the current situation in Gaza now,

00:20compared to previous parts of the conflict, just how dire are things for the people of Gaza?

00:25Well, we are talking about that it has passed two months already with virtually no supplies getting into Gaza,

00:35no really inadequate quantities of food getting into, and also lack of supplies, medical supplies, fuel, etc.

00:46So the people is really desperate, they're really nervous, there is a lot of fights and discussions in the streets about the food,

00:54and then we have this terrible situation around the distribution sites where each of the distribution is converted in a massacre

01:04by the Israeli forces each time that it's happening.

01:07And I just want to ask you a bit more about these very militarized food distribution centers.

01:13Could you paint us a picture of just what it is like for people at these sites,

01:17what they're experiencing there, and what kind of injuries people are presenting with your medical teams?

01:22Well, most of the people are forced to go through one road to a closed distribution site,

01:33which is the size of a football stadium.

01:37They are forced to get into an area which is already under evacuation,

01:43so it's a combat zone for the Israeli forces.

01:45They are given very, very few minutes to collect the boxes and to leave the area.

01:53So what happens is that if the people arrive earlier than expected, they get shot.

01:59If they are, you know, not respecting the instructions during the distribution, they get shot.

02:04And if they are staying further and longer than after the distribution, they get shot also.

02:12So this has been one after the other, after the other, after the other, shootings,

02:17especially shootings and some occasionally also explosions,

02:23which affected, you know, around 500 people got killed,

02:27and nearly 4,000 people got killed just trying desperately to get food.

02:33And, of course, this is not the way that should be done,

02:36because in such situation, who dares to go there?

02:40So vulnerable people have no access to such kind of food.

02:43And so what kind of immediate changes are MSF calling for,

02:47and what kind of message are you wanting to get out to the global community

02:50about the humanitarian, the aid situation in Gaza?

02:54What needs to be changed right now?

02:58Right now, these massacres need to stop immediately.

03:01And professional and principled humanitarian agencies,

03:05they must be allowed to bring supplies to bring food in Gaza

03:07in a predictable manner and in adequate quantities so that people can be fed.

03:12And, of course, it is needed an immediate ceasefire

03:16and enough aid, an adequate aid, let it into Gaza.

03:22And if there is a ceasefire, as we are hearing some signs of,

03:26at least from the U.S. president,

03:28how quickly do you think that really urgent aid would be able to get into the Gaza Strip?

03:34We don't know, but they should be very quickly and immediately,

03:38as the needs for food are really, really big.

03:40I mean, the quantity of trucks allowed through the borders are very, very small

03:46and they are not enough at all.

03:48So it is really, you know, a significant operation needs to be put working

03:53in order to allow, especially food and also fuel,

03:57in order to allow people accessing water, water tracking and water desalination,

04:04and also in order to hospitals to get generators running, incubators, operational theaters or elevators.

Category

Transcript

Recommended