JAKARTA: Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has expressed grave concerns about the healthcare situation in Gaza, shedding light on the alarming conditions faced by its residents.
The minister mentioned that out of the 36 hospitals in the region, only 13 remain operational, strained at two to three times their intended capacity.
Tragically, around 71 per cent of healthcare facilities have become non-functional due to the loss of hundreds of medical workers since the initiation of Israel's attacks on Gaza.
"The situation is further worsened by a critical shortage of medical supplies, encompassing equipment and medicines, as well as vital resources like food, clean water, fuel, and electricity," she said in a statement.
Retno conveyed these concerns after participating in a Special Executive Board meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO) focused on Gaza in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (December 10).
She pointed out that the WHO has reported a surge in infectious diseases with the latest figures indicating 130,000 cases of acute respiratory infections, over 94,000 cases of diarrhoea, and over 2,700 cases of chickenpox.
"Gaza is currently under siege. Israel has turned Gaza into a hellish situation. The death toll continues to rise."
Encouraging swift and effective action, Retno appealed to the international community to address the escalating healthcare crisis in Gaza.
She also emphasised that the Israel Defence Force's order to move medical supplies from Khan Younis to a smaller warehouse in Rafah constitutes a serious violation of international law and human rights.
"Indonesia urges Israel to respect the right to health and the Gaza community's access to healthcare facilities."
Indonesia has sent four humanitarian aid sorties and will also dispatch a hospital ship to Gaza to assist the injured and sick. --BERNAMA