Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
17 October 2024 | 11:54 CAT

MSF mourns and condemns the tragic killing of our colleague Nasser Hamdi Abdelatif Al Shalfouh in northern Gaza. (MSF)

In a statement, “Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are mourning the loss of 31-year-old Nasser Hamdi Abdelatif Al Shalfouh, our colleague. Nasser was killed by shrapnel injuries he suffered to his legs and chest on October 8th in Jabalia, north Gaza. Since October 7th, Jabalia has been under relentless attacks by Israeli forces, and people have remained trapped since then without being able to flee.”

Nasser died from his injuries on October 10th in Kamal Adwan Hospital. His wife and two children survive him.

Radio Islam International spoke to the MSF’s Claire Waterhouse. “Nasser is tragically the seventh of our colleagues to have been lost since October 7th and we really are just absolutely shaken and shocked by it again.”

Waterhouse emphasized that throughout the war that has been going on, healthcare workers and facilities are very clear targets, which is having horrific and tragic impacts on MSF staff and the state of the Palestinian people.

“Nowhere and nothing is safe, we mourn our colleague deeply,” Waterhouse painfully said.

Remarkably, these Doctors put their lives on the line even though there is a high possibility of losing their lives.

“Our colleagues are some of the bravest people I imagined,” Waterhouse said.

MSF have around 700 Palestinian colleagues currently in Gaza, as well as an international contingent of incredibly brave, caring and dedicated people Doctors.

However, Waterhouse pointed out that Doctors live with uncertainty and total vulnerability, worrying that this might be the day that the facility they are working in is attacked again.

“We have been forced to evacuate from 14 different medical facilities, every time we think that we have found somewhere that we can operate on it get attacked which is extremely difficult to carry on under these conditions,” Waterhouse explained.

MSF is currently mobilised in 73 different countries globally, providing free emergency care to anyone who needs it, including those affected by a humanitarian crisis, whether manmade, natural disaster or similar. It has been serving Gaza for more than 20 years.

“Gaza is certainly the worst that we have seen,” Waterhouse said.

She emphasized that a sustained ceasefire is needed now, “everyday that it doesn’t happen more lives are been lost, more people are out in danger and more people are dieing both directly and indirectly from the violence and terrible conflict.”

MSF has treated 27,500 people since the conflict began on October 7th, and the vast majority, 80 per cent, are a result of shelling, and another 3000 or so are from shooting. The trauma and the violence are massive.

“We really implore states to please get involved and pressure this to end. Another unacceptable violation of international humanitarian law is healthcare facilities been targets which we have never seeing with the frequency ever before and is putting all of our operations and of the vrave people who work for MSF are at risk.”

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie MSF’s Claire Waterhouse here.