On July 17, Administrator Samantha Power spoke with International Medical Corps (IMC) Senior Director Dr. Javed Ali to discuss the challenges humanitarian organizations and the health sector face in Gaza and IMC's work to provide Palestinians in Gaza with access to critical healthcare. Dr. Ali manages USAID-funded field hospitals in Gaza that are treating hundreds of patients daily, including through conducting surgeries, deliveries and cesarean sections, and a range of inpatient and outpatient services.
Administrator Power thanked Dr. Ali and the IMC team for their life-saving work to provide essential medical services to Palestinians in need. Dr. Ali's team includes doctors with 16 different surgical specialties, and IMC receives patients requiring some of the most complicated medical procedures. Administrator Power and Dr. Ali discussed the challenges faced by IMC's staff, including shortages of important medicines and medical supplies such as abdominal gauze, IVs, and catheters. Administrator Power and Dr. Ali also discussed multiple instances of IDF military strikes that have impacted IMC's operations and teams, as well as ongoing access issues, which prevent essential supplies from entering Gaza, in addition to insecurity and lawlessness, which block aid from reaching service providers and people in need. Administrator Power underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire to be able to surge assistance and have the hostages released, and ongoing U.S. efforts to improve security for humanitarian groups operating in Gaza.
