Israel-Hamas war: Humanitarian workers overwhelmed in Gaza
As Israel prepares for a ground assault in Gaza, humanitarian organizations are pleading for a ceasefire to limit civilian suffering. Najla Shawa, country relations manager for the Middle East and North Africa region for Oxfam, currently in Gaza, and representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) share how they are struggling to keep up with needs — and keep their own workers safe — amid the fighting. “The scale of destruction that we have been seeing is terrifying,” says Shawa. “The worry is now sinking in that we need to be prepared for all scenarios.”
Video Transcript
NAJLA SHAWA: The world is watching clear loud on wide screens, on social media. The destruction, the scale of destruction that we have been seeing is terrifying. Mind you, it's not just evacuation but also mostly dealing with the basic day-to-day, you know.
WILLIAM SCHOMBURG: Hospitals are rapidly running out of supplies and are facing increasingly difficult conditions under which they need to function.
NAJLA SHAWA: I was talking to you and colleagues. They are hardly surviving this.
JULIETTE TOUMA: UNRWA has not been able to bring in any supplies since the 7th of October. And our own supplies are running out. And they're running out fast.
NAJLA SHAWA: This is something totally, totally beyond any capacity. The worry is now sinking in, in a way that we need to be prepared for all scenarios.
