“On behalf of the team in Gaza, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”

Walid Shaqoura, SJEHG Gaza Hospital Manager, has shared a message for SJEHG supporters this Christmas, with an update from the teams on the ground across our sites in Gaza:

“This year has been very hard for the team here in Gaza, as we want to provide the best possible ophthalmological care for our people but have faced many challenges doing so. However, we are proud of what we have achieved this year in difficult circumstances, even without being able to use the facilities at our damaged Gaza Hospital.

We are operating over six locations in the Gaza Strip: Gaza City, Nuseirat Camp, Deir al-Balah, and two clinics in Khan Yunis. Our Jabalia Camp clinic has been closed since October this year due to the violence in the area. Recently, we have extended our work to include intravitreal injections for diabetic retinopathy and are continuing to provide other basic services.

Staff are distributed based on the situation on the ground, and the security issue poses a major challenge. The risks staff are exposed to change day by day, sometimes hour by hour, but their safety remains our top priority. Despite the difficult situation, particularly the lack of transport and lack of resources for patients, our staff remain resilient and in good spirits.

SJEHG are now the sole provider of ophthalmic services in Gaza. Phase 1 of our emergency response was focused on establishing clinics; we have now moved into Phase 2 which involves high-impact medical intervention focusing on the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and preventable blindness. We are hoping for a ceasefire soon so we can resume surgery again.

We are very pleased to have the support given by the senior management team at SJEHG, as well as the chair and board of trustees. We appreciate the donors who support our work and enable us to support our people by providing medications which are too expensive for patients to buy themselves.

Ordinary life is very difficult here, as the minimum requirements for life aren’t available. There are hundreds of thousands of people displaced in tents over this cold winter period, people who are suffering and hoping for a ceasefire and to return to normal life.

Our staff are spread across the six locations, with 24 people engaged in the work in Gaza, including ophthalmologists, nurses, optometrists, and administrative staff. They are happy to be providing a vital service, but at same time they are apprehensive about leaving their family in an unstable security situation – they are worried about how they can return to their families, or that their families will be injured in their absence.

We have a group of displaced Christians in Gaza, and we are sending our teams to the church where they are sheltering to carry out screening services. The majority are elderly and it’s difficult for them to move, so we are happy to provide care for them in the place of their displacement.

I would like to share a message to our supporters on behalf of all the staff in Gaza: we wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Across the Gaza Strip, the healthcare system has totally collapsed. Without your support, we would not be able to provide care for our people; we would not be able stay on the ground to help alleviate suffering and treat ophthalmic diseases. We ask you all to pray that the ceasefire will happen soon, so we can return to our normal lives and live in peace. Thank you.”

Walid Shaqoura, SJEHG Gaza Hospital Manager, December 2024