Gaza pleads for emergency medical aid amid coronavirus

By Mohammad Majid

GAZA (AA) - The blockaded Gaza Strip pleaded Friday for emergency medical aid from humanitarian organizations around the world to combat the novel coronavirus.

"We want international aid organizations to meet urgent medical needs such as respiratory and intensive care devices, medicines and protective equipment as part of combating COVID-19," said the Health Ministry in Gaza.

Nearly 1,200 travelers who entered Gaza from abroad are being kept in quarantine in 18 different centers.

The Strip continues education activities with live broadcasts on radio and social networking sites after schools were closed to stem the spread of virus known as COVID-19.

Israel’s 13-year blockade of the territory has shattered the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its 2 million inhabitants of free movement in and out from Gaza, preventing the entry of basic amenities.

The virus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 166 countries and territories. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.

Out of more than 274,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 11,000, and more than 87,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who become infected suffer only mild symptoms and recover.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara