The Irish Red Cross has issued an urgent alert, warning that the Gaza Strip is on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Its partners, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continue to operate under extreme and life-threatening conditions.

Thanks to the generosity of the Irish public, the Irish Red Cross has been providing direct support to the PRCS, whose 1,600 volunteers and staff have remained on the ground delivering emergency relief and medical care despite ongoing bombardments, severe restrictions on aid entry, and critical shortages of fuel, food, and medicine.

Key facts reported by Palestine Red Crescent (as of 16 June) reveal the grim reality: Gaza is just weeks away from a complete collapse of vital services.

• PRCS has had to stop its humanitarian relief operations. 
• Essential food stocks are completely depleted, meaning that PRCS can no longer provide hot meals or any food relief. 
• Supplies of non-food relief items are depleted. PRCS can no longer support displaced people with shelter, cooking, and hygiene.
• Four water purification stations are producing 160,000 liters daily, barely meeting demand.
• Only 12 of 29 medical points, clinics, and hospitals remain operational, all at limited capacity. Pressure has significantly increased on those that remain operational.
• Shortages include 77% of primary care medicines, 87% of orthopedic supplies, and 100% of chronic disease medications.
• Critical departments like cardiac surgery have stopped due to 100% shortage of supplies. 
• Fuel shortages have grounded over half the PRCS ambulance fleet, with just 21 ambulances operational to serve the entire Gaza Strip – significantly hampering the ability to transport the injured and critically ill.

Deirdre Garvey, Secretary General, Irish Red Cross urgently warns: "The situation in Gaza is beyond critical: it is a race against time. We are seeing complete unavailability of essential medications, a dire food shortage that risks widespread food insecurity and a crippling fuel crisis that has grounded over half of PRCS’s ambulances." 

Gaza’s health sector is on the verge of total collapse. Hospitals and clinics have been directly targeted or forced to shut down due to lack of fuel and supplies. Medicines for chronic illnesses, antibiotics, and infant formula are no longer available, leaving thousands of people - especially children, the elderly, and the wounded - at imminent risk.

The Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, reported its largest mass casualty incident on Monday 16 June with 244 cases received, and 172 the day before. These were people with gunshot wounds and explosive injuries who were reportedly at or near aid distribution centres. The Red Cross Field Hospital was operating at 195% bed occupancy yesterday morning (17 June). 

The situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. Over two million people are now living in inhumane conditions, with many displaced numerous times and sheltering in overcrowded camps or in the open, lacking clean water, food, or sanitation. PRCS food stocks are fully depleted, and essential non-food relief supplies such as tents, blankets, and hygiene kits have run out. In early June, PRCS had been providing 1,000 hot meals per day, previously it had been 3,000 per day.

In recent weeks, forced evacuations, intensified attacks on medical missions, and the continued closure of border crossings have sharply increased humanitarian and medical needs. The PRCS estimates that their ability to provide even minimum health services could end within two months.

“Every day without adequate aid means more lives lost, more suffering endured. An entire population is facing starvation and preventable deaths. We must act now and without delay to prevent further unimaginable suffering and loss of life," Ms Garvey said.

The Irish Red Cross reiterates its urgent call for:

• An immediate ceasefire and respect for international humanitarian law
• Safe, unhindered humanitarian access at all times
• Civilians and aid workers to be protected and never to be targeted
• Urgent action to open all crossing points and passages
• Allow sustainable entry of medical supplies and fuel into the entire Gaza Strip
• Lift restrictions on the import of specific items critical to the humanitarian response, such as specialised medical equipment, shelter items, and vehicles
• Medical evacuations from the Gaza Strip to other countries must be urgently facilitated, through accelerated approvals and the use of all possible crossing points 

Visit www.redcross.ie to support its Gaza Appeal.