When Dr Bassil Al Eleh heard the sound of bombing on the morning of 7 October 2023, he couldn’t have predicted the scale of devastation that would unfold over the coming months. The northern Gaza Strip, where he lived, soon became a focal point of relentless attacks. The Gaza Strip has since endured continuous bombardment and ground offensives, resulting in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths by mid-November 2024, with thousands more missing beneath the rubble.
The violence forced 1.9 million Gazans – approximately 90% of the whole population – to flee their homes. Most of them sought refuge in overcrowded displacement sites, where they struggled to access essential services like water, sanitation, food and medical care.
The war crippled Gaza’s healthcare system, often turning hospitals into combat zones. Several hospital facilities are now unusable due to irreparable damage, and only half of Gaza’s main hospitals are partially operational.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)-led Gaza Protection Consortium mobilised to help ease the burden on displaced families and the shattered healthcare system by establishing two EU-funded Mobile Medical Teams (MMTs). This consortium includes several INGOs – NRC, Mercy Corps, Humanity & Inclusion, Médecins du Monde – and has received €18.4 million in EU humanitarian funding since the start of the war.
Médecins du Monde (MdM), with support from the European Union, set up medical points in the Kuwait Industrial Area shelter and the Al-Qadisiya School in southern Gaza. These critically overcrowded sites are currently sheltering 32,000 people, 820% more than what they were built to accommodate.
Despite significant challenges in sourcing materials, construction was completed in just a few days.
Once the tents were set up, MdM deployed medical teams composed of doctors, nurses, midwives and psychologists. These teams provided primary healthcare, maternal and child health services, as well as mental health and psychosocial support.
Despite severe obstacles, including active combat, airstrikes, restricted movement, communication blackouts, and overcrowded shelters, the MMTs provided crucial care. They treated thousands of people, including those with acute illnesses, chronic conditions and psychological trauma.
Among the beneficiaries was Suhad Dahoud Abo Daqqa, who had been displaced multiple times. Her son Yazan recovered from hepatitis A thanks to treatment and hygiene kits provided by NRC and MdM.
However, as Israeli military operations extended across the Gaza Strip, the situation became too dangerous, forcing the MMTs to cease operations.
MdM has since transformed the MMTs into primary healthcare centres (PHCCs) in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, now serving approximately 1,200 patients daily.
Dr Bassil and his colleagues embody a moral commitment to serve, despite the immense challenges they face.
