MSF is supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Donate now to ensure we are ready to respond to emergencies around the world.
by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a major attack in Israel, striking various sites, including civilian gatherings and villages, firing rockets on multiple cities, and taking scores of hostages, mostly civilians. The Israeli government declared war on Hamas and began a massive counteroffensive in Gaza, launching a barrage of air strikes hitting civilian areas and cutting off all supplies of food, water, and electricity. As an independent, impartial humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of civilians and medical facilities.
More than 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, and more than 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to local authorities. The death toll continues to rise. Thousands more have been wounded on both sides. The vast majority of the victims of this conflict are civilians, including many elderly people, women, and children.
MSF has been running programs in Gaza for many years. In response to the immense humanitarian needs, our teams are working day and night to cope with the influx of wounded. MSF teams are currently donating essential medicines and medical equipment to the main hospitals in Gaza, and have sent surgical teams to two hospitals to help treat the wounded.
We do not currently work in Israel because the country has a strong health system and medical infrastructure. MSF has offered its support to Israeli hospitals treating the high number of casualties.
Most of the 70+ countries where we work have long-term needs. That's why MSF maintains a presence in so many places—so that when emergencies strike, we can be ready. And it's why flexible funding, the kind that isn't earmarked toward a specific project or country, is so important: it gives us the steady support we need to act quickly, in an emergency, and wherever the need is greatest.
