Voices from Gaza: How the Palestine Red Crescent Society brings hope amid a collapsing health system

Amidst unimaginable conditions in Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent Society is providing a lifeline to help those in need. Here are the personal stories of those who have been helped.

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Last updated 4 June 2025

Gaza's health system is on the brink of collapse

In Gaza, the health system has been pushed to the brink. Hospitals have been reduced to rubble, and medical supplies are scarce. Doctors and nurses work through unimaginable conditions, risking their lives, to help those in need, and supplies are dwindling. 

Despite the security risks and limited supplies crossing the border, the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross have continued to operate in Gaza, day in and day out.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) runs emergency clinics across the region, offering vital medical care, rehabilitation services, psychological support, and helping to restore contact between separated family members.

As part of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, your donations to our Gaza Crisis Appeal supports the life saving work of PRCS.

Here are some stories of people who have received care.

Mohamed: "People are dying. We need more clinics."

Mohamed, a resident of Jabalia camp, was displaced from his home in Sheikh Radwan. Like thousands of others, he’s lost access to basic health services.

At the PRCS clinic in Jabalia, Mohamed received the care he desperately needed.

“We came here to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, may God reward them, because the treatment was not available in sufficient quantities elsewhere,” he says. “The treatment here is competent and excellent. The staff are excellent people.”

Leyam: “He gave me medicine, and he made me smile.”

Leyam, a young girl, visited a PRCS clinic when she fell ill with fever, cough, and stomach pain.

“I was ill and I wanted to get treated,” she says. “The doctor asked me what I felt, and I said fever, cough, and stomach ache.”

After receiving a diagnosis, Leyam received the medicine she needed and a small measure of joy. “He was playing and joking with me,” she says. “Then he gave me medicine.”

For children like Leyam, medical help is not just about recovery: it’s about compassion and comfort in the face of overwhelming fear.

Soraya: “God bless them. I am very grateful.”

Soraya lives with intense, chronic pain caused by a herniated disc in her spine. But amid displacement and destruction, her condition has worsened, and care is harder to come by.

“The situation is very difficult, really, really difficult. You cannot imagine how hard it is,” she says. “We cannot sleep during the night, nothing. They dropped shells on the neighbours; the whole house was destroyed. What could we do?”

Eventually, Soraya saw a PRCS sign and made her way to the clinic.

“Thank God, they gave me medicine and examined my daughter,” she says. “We were able to get some of the medication I need, but not all."

A lifeline for people in Gaza

The Palestine Red Crescent Society continues to provide essential services against extraordinary odds. 

Saleem: “Our responsibility and humanity keep us going.”

Saleem is a relief coordinator in the Disaster Risk Management department at PRCS. He works near the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, where a 16-person team, including doctors, specialists, and administrators, runs one of PRCS’s health centres.

“The health situation in the northern Gaza Strip is currently collapsing,” Saleem explains. “There have been strikes on hospitals and on medical teams working in the field. Many staff members have been detained. We are trying to support the health sector by providing primary medical care, rehabilitation, psychological support, and restoring family ties.”

The situation is made worse by the shortage of medical supplies and the threat to medical staff.

“One of the most important challenges is protection,” he says. “Strikes continue to impact medical teams. That’s the main thing that holds us back. The second is the lack of medical supplies. But our motivation to keep going comes from our responsibility and humanity towards our people.”

Your donations support this life saving work

As part of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, your donations to our Gaza Crisis Appeal support the work of PRCS.