In the bustling streets of Republic Street, Malta, Dr. Maria Azzopardi, a Maltese doctor with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), pauses to check her phone. A message from Gaza flashes across her screen: “Critical medicine shortages.” She sighs, her mind racing back to the patients she left behind in Gaza’s overstretched hospitals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm on Gaza’s medical crisis. Stuck in a 14-year blockade and three wars, Gaza’s healthcare system is on its knees. Essential medicines and medical supplies are running dangerously low, with some hospitals reporting stockouts of up to 50%.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, warns, “The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Hospitals are struggling to provide basic services, and patients are dying because they cannot access treatment.”

Malta, through MSF, has been a lifeline for Gaza’s healthcare system. MSF runs six medical facilities in Gaza, providing critical care to over 1.5 million people. Dr. Azzopardi, a Malta native, has seen firsthand the impact of the shortages.

“I’ve seen patients dying from treatable conditions because we don’t have the right medicine,” she says, her voice heavy with emotion. “It’s heartbreaking, but it’s the reality of Gaza’s healthcare system today.”

Malta’s Foreign Minister, Evarist Bartolo, has condemned the situation in Gaza, stating, “The people of Gaza deserve better. They deserve to live with dignity and access to basic services, including healthcare.”

But words are not enough. MSF is calling on Malta and the international community to pressure Israel and Egypt to lift the blockade and allow essential medical supplies into Gaza. They also urge increased funding for Gaza’s healthcare system.

Dr. Azzopardi echoes this call, “We need action, not just words. Gaza’s patients can’t wait. They need medicine, they need care, and they need it now.”