Gaza – SABA:
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip confirmed on Sunday that blood banks and laboratories are suffering from a critical shortage of blood units and components, as the urgent need for blood continues to rise in light of the growing number of critical injuries.
In a press statement, the ministry said that the current supply of blood units is far below the monthly consumption rate, and that meeting the demand exceeds the capacity of existing blood banks.
The ministry noted that 10,000 units of blood and its components were distributed over the past month, while only 3,500 units were collected.
It also pointed out that community blood donation campaigns are no longer effective, due to worsening malnutrition and widespread anemia among the population.
The ministry urgently called for reinforcing blood bank stocks to enable life-saving emergency interventions for the wounded.
Since March 2, the Israeli occupation has closed all crossings into Gaza, blocking the entry of food, medical aid, and fuel, causing a massive deterioration in humanitarian conditions.