01.04.2024

Photos: On the Ground Inside Gaza’s Humanitarian Emergency

Months of violence have led to a widespread humanitarian emergency in Gaza. Go inside the crisis to see first-hand how it’s impacting families.

For months, residents of Gaza have borne the weight of nearly unending violence. The conflict inside Gaza has led to a humanitarian catastrophe: Almost 1.9 million people — roughly 85% of the population — are displaced. Nowhere and no one in Gaza is safe. People are hungry, grieving, and living without clean water or electricity.

Project HOPE is on the ground in Gaza helping provide urgent medical support to families in need:

Providing direct medical care at our new primary health clinic in Deir Al Balah
Delivering hygiene kits, mattresses, and blankets to displaced families
Partnering with local organizations to implement mental health care programs in Gaza and the West Bank
Equipping local health workers with the supplies and medicines they need to save lives

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: How To Help

back of boy looking at rubble in Gaza — A boy inspects damage from an airstrike in southern Gaza on November 10, 2023. Months of airstrikes have displaced nearly all of Gaza’s population and destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of people. ALL PHOTOS: Motaz Al-Aaraj for Project HOPE, 2023.

Dr. Santosh Kumar, Medical Coordinator for Project HOPE in Cairo, said:
“During a recent visit to a school in Rafah that is housing displaced women and children, my colleague witnessed over 70 pregnant women and 39 newborns enduring overcrowded conditions with nearly no access to essential resources such as food, clean water, bathrooms, and proper hygiene facilities. Across Gaza, 52,000 women and pregnant and over 180 babies are delivered every day. Without access to a trained health worker or midwife, childbirth can threaten the lives of both the mother and child, especially when you’re living in challenging circumstances.”

people digging through rubble — Community members search for survivors following an airstrike in Gaza on October 31, 2023. Photo by Motaz Al Aaraj for Project HOPE, 2023

outdoor hospital setup — Doctors care for injured patients in the back yard of Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, Gaza, while facing severe limitations on medicines, medical supplies, electricity, and water.

A doctor looks at the camera in a medical tent. — Dr. Monther Abo Sharek, an emergency doctor at El-Najer hospital in Gaza. “The scene is very hard to imagine. Most of us now need psychological therapy, because we’re just carrying more than we can carry,” he said. Photo by Motaz Al Aaraj for Project HOPE, 2023

Motaz al Aaaraj, Program Officer for Project HOPE in Rafah, said:
“Hospitals, overwhelmed with emergency cases, no longer admit patients with injuries, sprains, or cold-related symptoms as it isn’t life threatening. Surgeries, including amputations, are performed without anesthesia or pain relief. Post operative care barely exists. Patients go directly from the operating table to their homes, tents, or any available shelter they can find.”

Two men carrying an injured man in a gurney in Gaza — An injured patient arrives at Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, Gaza, where doctors face severe limitations on medicines, medical supplies, electricity, and water. Photo by Motaz Al Aaraj for Project HOPE, 2023

group of people standing outside of bakery for food — Community members in Gaza line up for hours outside a bakery to get bread. Without consistent access to food, residents of Gaza now face the impending threat of famine unless full humanitarian access is allowed.

man in yellow shirt cooking food in large pot — Community members in Gaza prepare food to give away to people in need on October 31, 2023.

people walking through rubble in Gaza in daylight — As part of our response in Gaza, Project HOPE established a neonatal clinic in Rafah to help restore access to health care for residents in southern Gaza. In December, the clinic was damaged in an airstrike that destroyed a neighboring mosque and other buildings.

health worker woman handing medical kit to young boy inside an office in Gaza — Dr. Maram is one of the health workers and Project HOPE team members who has set up a medical clinic in Deir al Balah, Gaza. The clinic treats about 70 people a day and provides essential, lifesaving health services to families and children. Photo by Project HOPE staff, 2023.

Dr. Maram, Physician and Project HOPE team member in Deir al Balah, said:
“It’s becoming worse and worse every day. Living conditions have led to a dire health crisis. Most patients we see complain of gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infection, lice, and ascaris. Many infants have diaper rash due to not changing their diapers. For pregnant women, we have seen a lot of vaginitis and anemia. It is horrible here.”