Wednesday, 09 September 2020_Lockdown remains in place in the Gaza Strip as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise. The number of infections has risen from four to nearly twelve hundred over the past two weeks. This has sounded the alarm in human rights circles over the suffocating siege put on the enclave by Israel, hampering its health officials’ efforts to cope with the pandemic.
As the coronavirus lockdown enters its third week in the Gaza Strip, more infections are being reported in the impoverish enclave.
Palestinians in the tiny seaside sliver are desperately fighting to prevent a potentially devastating outbreak of COVID-19, which would overwhelm the already battered healthcare system.
A full lockdown was imposed on the Gaza Strip late last month after authorities confirmed the first coronavirus cases spread through the community. Local authorities blocked roads to ensure adherence to the new policies and stop the spread of coronavirus.
They also divided the cities into squares to impose the curfew. The coronavirus has compounded the suffering of nearly two million Gazans already struggling to make ends meet amid the Israeli blockade.
The coronavirus is threatening the socioeconomic welfare of nearly two million Palestinians living in Gaza as much as their health.
The ongoing Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza is one of the main reasons why tackling the deadly pandemic is particularly difficult. The Gaza Strip has been cut off and slowly suffocating since 2007, with access and support denied to its impoverished population.
The extensive nature of the Israeli blockade has had a devastating impact on the health and well being of people in Gaza. Health officials warn that the enclave is facing a catastrophic situation amid the silence of the international community.
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