Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent escalation of the conflict, not a day goes by without deaths and injuries. Hospitals, schools and displaced persons’ camps are bombed and people’s livelihoods destroyed.
Over 60 percent of homes in the densely populated Gaza Strip have been destroyed and people are spending their nights in schools, stadiums or on the streets. “Our partners offer their services wherever people are staying,” says Sophia Buller, Johanniter Middle East Program Coordinator, explaining the situation. Providing aid in the Gaza Strip is an enormous challenge. Johanniter is supporting emergency medical aid for the people on the ground.
Mobile clinics for wounds and opthalmology
Johanniters sister organization, St. John Eye Hospital, has set up mobile clinics at five locations to provide primary medical care for wounds and eye diseases.
“It is very difficult to work in this situation. But our patients are dependent on help. Many are dehydrated, malnourished and suffer from diseases caused by a lack of hygiene,” says hospital manager Dr. Waleed Shaquora. Many patients are saved from severe visual damage or blindness through treatment.
The team always keeps an eye on the safety situation. “We have selected locations where safety is reasonably guaranteed. That has top priority. If the situation changes, we evacuate immediately and continue at another location.”
Emergency medicine and medication
Another partner of Johanniter in the Gaza Strip is the organization Juzoor. The 260 health workers working for Juzoor provide emergency medical care in emergency shelters. Juzoor also trains staff in public institutions in first aid and provides support with medicines and consumables. Procurement and import are complicated. Dr. Shaquora from St John is also aware of this. “But people with chronic illnesses in particular need a regular supply of medication. We do our best to give it to them.
Johanniter’s Interventions in Lebanon
Since 2013, Johanniter in Lebanon has been supporting communities and refugees (including Palestinians and Syrian refugees) through local partnerships with MAPS Lebanon and Nabaa Organization. They have provided healthcare support in collaboration with the local partner, MAPS and extended vocational training to more than 2000 young refugees, including those with disabilities, from three Palestinian refugee camps.
In response to the regional crisis that began in October 2023, Johanniter has improved shelter conditions, distributed basic food supplies to 2,100 families, provided sleeping supplies to 750 families, and allocated emergency funds to 238 families for necessary medical supplies and relocation to safer places when needed. In 2023, Johanniter reached 35,000 people in Lebanon with its aid.