Three Palestinian children who suffer from kidney failure died Tuesday at Shiffa Hospital in Gaza due to the severe medicine shortage caused by an Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, medics said. The children were identified as Mohammad Turk, Mohammad Helow and Shaban Lulu, who died as the frequency of their dialysis was reduced due to the lack of medicine.
Director-General of Emergency and First Aid in the Ministry of Health Mo’awiyah Abu Hassanain warned of the dangers that face the 600 sick children currently in hospitals in Gaza if their medicines do not arrive soon.
A two-month Israeli closure of the Gaza border has prevented food and medicine from entering the Gaza Strip, the most crowded place on earth and home to 1.2 million Palestinians.
Abu Hassanain added that Gaza hospitals, particularly the kidney department at Shiffa Hospital are suffering from a severe shortage of kidney medicines. He indicated that 150 children there need frequent kidney dialysis.
Abu Hassanain confirmed that the hospital is suffering from a crisis in terms of supplies of medicines, saying this increases the people’ s suffering and the number of people that are in need of dialysis.
He warned of a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip if Israel continues to keep the borders sealed.
