Strong Norwegian support for Red Cross hospital in Gaza

‘Gaza is a man-made humanitarian disaster. It has enormous dimensions. 35,000 people have been killed. More than 76,000 people have been injured. Gaza is in ruins. The health system has collapsed. That is why it is so important that the Red Cross field hospital is now opening in Rafah. This hospital will help to save many lives’, said Minister for Development Cooperation Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim. 

The hospital has two operating theaters, 60 beds and it can provide health care to around 200 people every day. The first patient at the hospital was a woman who gave birth by caesarean section. The Norwegian Red Cross is responsible for coordinating the operation of the hospital. They work closely with the Red Cross movement in ten other countries and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which also contributes to the hospital.

‘I would like to say a big thank you to all the humanitarian workers who are working to save lives and alleviate suffering in Gaza. They are doing a life-saving job under dangerous and difficult conditions. Norway has been very clear that civilians must be protected and that attacks on hospitals and other health facilities are completely unacceptable and must stop’, said Tvinnereim.

In addition to the hostilities, shortages of fuel and essential commodities such as water, food and medicines are creating major challenges for the humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

‘I am proud of the close cooperation with the Red Cross. They know what is happening on the ground and the most urgent needs in Gaza. We have an ongoing dialog about how we as authorities can push for humanitarian access’, says the development minister.