MSF: Violence is curbing healthcare access in Gaza

Medecins sans Frontieres is calling for the cessation of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants because it is affecting the organisation’s ability to provide care, one of its medical coordinators has said.

Every day more and more people were dying from the violence, Dr Natalie Thurtle told BBC World News.

“The border to Gaza is closed and no humanitarian corridor has been negotiated,” she said.

“We can't bring supplies in, the ministry of health is running low on blood bags, which is an essential item for transfusing trauma patients, infrastructure has been destroyed, multiple healthcare structures have been damaged and roads leading to those structures are impassable”.

At least 219 people, including almost 100 women and children, have been killed in Gaza so far, according to its health ministry. In Israel 12 people, including two children, have been killed, its medical service has said.