The University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in Gaza has launched a program, funded by Kuwait’s International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO), to urgently deploy senior medical students across southern Gaza’s hospitals.
UCAS Vice Chancellor Mohammad Mushtaha, speaking to KUNA, explained that the initiative aims to send 350 students expected to graduate this year to the war-torn region for a five-month period. This program offers students a valuable opportunity to gain real-world experience while addressing the urgent medical needs in Gaza. Mushtaha expressed gratitude to Kuwait’s Amir, government, and people for their unwavering moral and financial support across various sectors.
Amidst ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip by Zionist forces for nearly ten months, Palestinian women have shown remarkable resilience by initiating efforts to alleviate the severe impacts on the local population. Afnan Bakroon, along with her two daughters, has been providing various services at a refugee camp in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood of eastern Gaza City to support displaced students. Afnan, who holds a master’s degree from the Islamic University in Gaza, teaches English and math, while her daughters offer lessons in Hebrew and computer skills. Additionally, her daughter recently established a psychological health clinic at the camp, offering free support to families of those killed in the aggressions.
The ongoing atrocities have displaced approximately 1.93 million people, constituting about 85 percent of Gaza’s population, forcing them to leave their homes. The UN refugee agency (UNRWA) estimates that over 625,000 children have dropped out of school since the aggression began, with many educational institutions destroyed in the attacks.
In central Gaza, Lobna Al-Azayza, a pediatrician and breastfeeding specialist, set up a makeshift clinic at a refugee camp in Deir Al-Balah to provide medical care to newborns and the injured. Despite her clinic being destroyed, Al-Azayza continues to offer health lessons to women about the importance of breastfeeding and launched an initiative titled “You’re Our People” to provide psychological support to displaced individuals and aid the elderly with chronic conditions.
Gaza’s health system has suffered immensely, losing 70 percent of its bed capacity, with only 14 out of 36 hospitals partially functioning due to severe shortages of staff and medical supplies. Gaza health authorities report that over 885 medical personnel have been killed, hundreds injured, at least 310 arrested, and 130 ambulances destroyed in the attacks. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that medical supplies in Gaza are insufficient to meet the needs of the besieged territory.
In another initiative, Rafeef Azeez, who previously worked for a local news site, has been using her social media platforms to post humanitarian appeals and gather donations. With her following on Facebook growing to 11,000, she has successfully raised funds from young people across Arab countries to buy food, water, and tents for displaced individuals. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 96 percent of Gaza’s population is at high risk of severe food insecurity, with half a million people facing extreme hunger and over 20 percent sometimes unable to find food for an entire day.
Mona Al-Khalili, Minister of Women’s Affairs, praised these initiatives, emphasizing the crucial role Palestinian women play in supporting their families and communities. She highlighted the efforts of doctors, nurses, and other women who have been providing medical, psychological, and educational support during the occupation’s aggression. Since October 7, 2023, the occupation forces’ ongoing war against Gaza’s defenseless population has resulted in over 132,000 casualties, predominantly women and children.
