Gaza's Dialysis Crisis: The Hidden Toll of Conflict

In Gaza, the war has decimated the health system, leaving dialysis patients like Mohamed Attiya to struggle for survival. Limited treatment due to damaged infrastructure and blockades has resulted in many preventable deaths. Dialysis centers are scarce, and shortages in medical supplies further exacerbate the situation.

Twice a week, Mohamed Attiya's wheelchair clatters over Gaza's war-torn roads as he makes his way to the machine that keeps him alive.

Attiya, a 54-year-old father of six, travels from a temporary shelter to Shifa Hospital for vital dialysis treatments. Diagnosed with kidney failure 15 years ago, his treatments are now hampered by the destruction from the ongoing conflict and a crippling shortage of medical supplies.

Gaza's health ministry reports that more than 400 dialysis patients have died due to inadequate treatment. Israel's blockade, enforced since March, further limits medical and basic necessities from entering the territory. With six out of seven dialysis centers destroyed, the remaining facilities are overwhelmed, forcing patients to undergo shorter, less effective sessions.