Gaza received its first batch of Covid-19 vaccine
Checking a shipment of Russian vaccine at the Kerem Shalom border post in Rafah, Gaza Strip, February 17, 2021. AP - Adel Hana
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The Palestinian Authority, in the occupied West Bank, claims to have sent 2,000 doses to the enclave.
Israel initially blocked the transfer of these vaccines, before finally allowing the shipment of half the shipment.
Only a thousand doses have been delivered to the blockaded territory.
Publicity
Read more
Asked by our correspondent in Jerusalem,
Sami Boukhelifa
, Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiyeh, director of al-Shifa, the central hospital in Gaza, recounts the dilemma represented by the arrival of these 1000 doses of vaccine.
We received 1000 doses of vaccines, so enough to vaccinate 1000 people.
It was a real dilemma for us.
Who to vaccinate first?
The medical staff on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus, or the fragile people?
And finally at the Ministry of Health, we decided to first vaccinate patients with cancer, suffering from kidney failure, or those who have received organ transplants.
Mohamed Abu Selmiyeh, Director of Al-Shifa, Gaza Central Hospital
For him, it is urgent to obtain more vaccines.
The World Health Organization and the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah promise more.
“
It will depend on the goodwill of Israel.
Honestly it goes against all international laws and human morals.
Prohibiting the entry of vaccines is to attack the most vulnerable and put their lives in danger.
We are under Israeli occupation and in principle Israel has a duty to provide us with the vaccines and also the necessary care
”, he regrets.
►
See also
: Israel announces providing 5,000 doses of vaccine to Palestinians
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Palestinian territories