Hospitals in Gaza are running out of blood bags because urgently needed medical supplies have failed to reach the Palestinian territory, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday.
More than 1,500 people have been wounded in 10 days of fighting between Gaza militants and Israel, the health ministry said, leaving doctors struggling to provide life-saving treatment.
A humanitarian convoy has twice been halted and medical supplies left behind, after Israel said the area came under rocket fire from Gaza.
“Most of the medical items in those trucks, we are urgently waiting for. Including blood bags,” said Sacha Bootsma, who runs the WHO’s Gaza office.
“They’re almost finished with,” she said of the blood bags, which are used to give critically wounded patients transfusions.
“This is the most urgent item that we were hoping to receive yesterday.”
The amount of destruction is just appalling.
Anaesthetic, antibiotics, bone cement used in trauma surgery and painkillers are all on a list of dozens of essential items needed to treat casualties of the conflict.
Israeli authorities said the border area came under fire on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting the convoy to be stopped on both occasions.
Egypt has sent fuel – which is essential to keep hospital generators running – and medical supplies. Cairo’s donation was not co-ordinated with Gaza’s health authorities, however, and the WHO said it will take days to go through the cargo.
The ongoing conflict could also prove deadly for Gazans suffering from chronic diseases, such as those who would usually travel to Jerusalem for heart surgery or cancer treatment.
“If these people are not receiving this type of treatment within a certain time frame, their condition will deteriorate,” Ms Bootsma said.
“We do now have three people that, if they don’t go out now, they will surely die,” she said.
Two to three patients would normally cross daily and cases have been accumulating since Israel closed its crossings on May 10 when hostilities with Gaza militants began.
The difficulty of obtaining hospital appointments and the risky journey through North Sinai renders treatment in Egypt unfeasible.
Although Cairo has offered to treat some of those wounded in the fighting, WHO said only three Gazans have been transferred to Egypt so far.
At least 219 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 10 people in Israel killed by rocket fire from the enclave, according to health officials on both sides. Rocket fire has wounded 114 people in Israel.
While medics confront new casualties daily, Gaza’s infrastructure has been hit by intense Israeli air strikes. Six hospitals and a road leading to one of the main emergency rooms have been damaged, hindering ambulance access.
The Israeli military says its target is Hamas, which rules Gaza, and accuses the group of building tunnels used by fighters under civilian infrastructure.
“The destruction is absolutely disproportionate in terms of what you may expect for Israelis looking for Hamas militants,” said Ms Bootsma.
“The amount of destruction is just appalling.”
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
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• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
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The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
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What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
