Latest news with #ChristopherLockyear
The National
21-06-2025
- Health
- The National
Babies face imminent death in Gaza as formula milk runs out, doctors warn
In the neonatal wards of Gaza's battered hospitals, doctors and parents are sounding the alarm. With baby formula completely depleted and border crossings sealed since March, the lives of dozens of premature and infant children hang in the balance. 'In less than 36 hours, we may begin losing newborns,' warned Dr Ahmad Al Farra, director of the children and maternity building at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. 'There are no supplies of specialised formula, despite our repeated urgent requests. The lives of dozens of infants and premature babies are in extreme danger if this crisis is not addressed immediately,' he told The National. Inside neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), where fragile babies are connected to life-saving machines, the situation grows more desperate by the hour. 'We may lose some of them at any moment,' Dr Al Farra added. 'The international community must take responsibility for what Gaza's infants are suffering.' In an exclusive interview with The National this week, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) secretary general Christopher Lockyear appealed for all nations to use economic, political and diplomatic pressure to stop the 'pattern of genocide and ethnic cleansing' in Gaza after the destruction of its health system. Israel's army has attacked hospitals and clinics, accusing Hamas of using them as military launchpads and intelligence centres, often with little or no evidence. 'We no longer talk of a health system in Gaza,' said Mr Lockyear. 'The health system has been systematically targeted, destroyed." Dr Jamil Ali, director of Al Rantisi Hospital in Gaza city – now the strip's main paediatric facility – says the shelves are completely bare. 'We currently do not have a single can of baby formula in the hospital,' Dr Ali told The National. 'Every day, more children arrive suffering from malnutrition, digestive disorders and illnesses directly linked to the lack of food and medicine.' He emphasised that this is no longer just a crisis – it is a 'humanitarian collapse'. His hospital, he said, has made multiple urgent appeals to international organisations in recent weeks. 'We have made it clear: Gaza's children are now facing a real health disaster. We urgently call on the world to act – immediately.' 'Silent massacre' Rehab Al Astal, 28, is a mother from Khan Younis. For her, the crisis is deeply personal. Her six-month-old son, Yamen, depends entirely on formula. 'I've searched everywhere – there's nothing. It hasn't come through the crossings for over four months,' she said. 'We're living through famine. I can't feed my son. I've taken him to the hospital twice. Doctors say he's on the verge of malnutrition.' Even basic substitutes like baby oatmeal have vanished from store shelves. Breastfeeding, often suggested in emergencies, is not an option for many. 'I don't even have enough food to eat myself. I can't produce the milk he needs,' Ms Al Astal said. 'These are not luxuries. These are rights. These are babies –newborns – who have no part in this war. Their nutrition is the world's responsibility.' I dreamt of celebrating him. Instead, I'm watching him hungry Loay Abu Sultan, Gazan father Loay Abu Sultan, 27, from Sheikh Radwan in central Gaza, is witnessing his firstborn son suffer through his first months of life without basic nourishment. 'My son Mohammed is eight months old. He was born during the war. I dreamt of celebrating him. Instead, I'm watching him hungry,' he said. 'We adults can survive. But a baby can't. How do you explain to a baby that there's no milk? How do you silence his cries?' His wife, already weakened by months of poor nutrition, is unable to breastfeed. 'We're scared of what might happen tomorrow, of what we can't control,' he said. With the borders closed by the Israeli army for nearly three months, and critical aid struggling to enter and reach families, parents walk from pharmacies to clinics to hospitals searching for even a single can of formula, often in vain. What was once routine – feeding a child – has become a life-and-death struggle. 'This is a silent massacre,' said Dr Al Farra. 'Not from bombs, but from neglect, from blockade, from inaction.'
The National
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Doctors Without Borders head sounds alarm over pattern of 'genocide and ethnic cleansing' in Gaza
In an interview with The National's Mohamad Ali Harisi, Christopher Lockyear discusses the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, where politicised aid efforts are causing more harm than good
The National
19-06-2025
- Health
- The National
MSF chief warns of Israeli push to confine medics in Gaza to field hospitals
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) secretary general Christopher Lockyear has voiced concern over what he described as an Israeli attempt to push Gaza medical teams into field hospitals instead of established buildings. The aim, he said, appears to be greater control over who receives treatment, echoing a disastrous aid distribution strategy via an Israeli-US channel that has led to the deaths of dozens of hungry residents. In an exclusive interview with The National in Abu Dhabi, Mr Lockyear appealed for all nations to use economic, political and diplomatic pressure to stop the "pattern of genocide and ethnic cleansing' in Gaza after the destruction of its health system. You go to these distributions because you're desperate, you may return with a bag of flour, you may return with a shroud Christopher Lockyear, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) 'We are fearful that we could become part of that broader strategy by moving out of these bigger established hospitals into field hospitals,' he told The National in an exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi. 'It gives the impression that the situation is manageable because you can run a hospital. But that is a much, much lower capacity than previously. And we don't want to be part of destroying the infrastructure of the society of Gaza". Israel's war in Gaza has entered its 20th month, with no signs of slowing down. More than 55,600 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, despite attempts to reach a ceasefire with Hamas. Israeli officials have made it clear the war will not stop until Hamas is eliminated and the hostages abducted on October 7 are returned, even as hunger threatens two million Gazans. The health sector has borne one of the heaviest costs. Israel's army has systematically attacked hospitals and clinics, accusing Hamas of using them as military launchpads and intelligence centres, often with little or no evidence. 'We no longer talk of a health system in Gaza,' said Mr Lockyear. "The health system has been systematically targeted, destroyed. The only remaining partially functional referral hospital, the Gaza hospital itself, we're supporting them. 'We had to move the surgical support out of that hospital just a few days ago. We're working in a series of field hospitals but it's impossible to provide what is needed. There's a major effort there but it's nowhere near what is needed.' Abuse of humanitarian action Similar to food, medical equipment has been largely restricted. 'We've managed to bring in a trickle of medical supplies over the last few weeks' said the secretary general. "But the supplies are dwindling. And as a consequence of that, we have to reduce, for example, how often we're changing people's dressings, which increases the rate of infection." What our teams are witnessing on a daily basis is patterns of genocide and ethnic cleansing Christopher Lockyear He sharply criticised the aid system now being overseen by Israel, one that has led to the killing of dozens of Palestinians attempting to receive the basics to survive in what he called humiliating circumstances. 'What we're seeing in terms of aid delivery at the moment in Gaza, through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, I would say is not humanitarian. This is an approach to aid that we completely reject. Why do we reject it? Well, it's a militarised, politicised form of giving assistance,' he said. 'The way that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is carrying out the work in Gaza is following a repeated and systematic abuse of the terms 'humanitarian' and 'humanitarian action'. One member of our staff said the other day, 'you go to these distributions because you're desperate, you may return with a bag of flour, you may return with a shroud.'' MSF is currently operating in Gaza with a force of about 300, most of them local. But it has lost 11 staff members in the fighting and others face complex situations and endless obstacles to carrying out their work. Mr Lockyear stressed that humanitarian aid, especially from a medical perspective, is about much more than supplies. 'It's about having facilities where there is electricity, running water and fuel,' he explained, all of which barely exist now. 'I would say it's also about having staff who are fed, who have slept, who are able to carry out operations and procedures on people. And we have staff who are themselves in the hospital because of spreading disease, because of hunger, because of starvation," the MSF chief said. 'What our teams are witnessing on a daily basis is patterns of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the destruction of the health system and the destruction of infrastructure as a whole. So this needs to stop. We're appealing to all states to use their economic, political and diplomatic pressure to stop this carnage.' War on people With the Israeli war on Iran escalating, there are fears the war in Gaza could be pushed off the radar, even as hundreds remain under fire. More than 250 people have been killed by the Israeli army since Friday, when Israel launched a serious assault on Iran. Another place at risk of being forgotten is Sudan, where hundreds of thousands have died in the civil conflict. 'It's really hard to get coverage on Sudan at any time, but one of the consequences of what's happening in and around Iran and Israel over the last few days is that they could make it even harder to get eyes on what's happening in Sudan,' Mr Lockyear warned. 'It's been a war on people. The level of violence by both sides of this conflict – or all sides – has been absolutely horrendous. The way this war is being conducted is utterly horrific. "The health system in Sudan is – I wouldn't say on its knees – it's in a desperate situation and there needs to be humanitarian actors there to support that response.' From Gaza to Sudan and Syria, recent Middle East conflicts have heavily impacted the operations of leading humanitarian and charity organisations. 'Increasing conflict around the world makes decisions even more complicated, because we have to focus and prioritise even harder," he said.
The Journal
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
European 'empty rhetoric' is not enough to stop Israel's 'ethnic cleansing' of Gaza, MSF says
THE EUROPEAN UNION has the political, economic, and diplomatic means to stop Israel's 'calculated evisceration of the very systems that sustain life' in Gaza, and 'empty rhetoric' is not enough. That's what European government leaders have been told in an open letter written by the heads of the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), eleven of whose staff members have been killed during the 20 months of war on the besieged Palestinian territory. Dr Christos Christou, MSF International's president and Christopher Lockyear, the NGO's secretary general, described Israel's campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza as 'ethnic cleansing, wrapped in the rhetoric of security defence'. 'On a daily basis, MSF teams witness patterns consistent with genocide through deliberate actions by Israeli forces – including mass killings, the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure, and blockades choking off access to food, water, medicines, and other essential humanitarian supplies,' they wrote. Israel is systematically destroying the conditions necessary for Palestinian life. This pattern of violence and disregard for international humanitarian law, the said, 'shows that this war run by Israel in Gaza is against Palestinians as a whole'. Israel stands accused of committing genocide in Gaza in a case taken by South Africa at the International Criminal Court. It has also been accused of genocide by NGOs Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has also described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocidal. Despite these allegations, European support for Israel has remained steadfast, with some exceptions. Last month, some European states closely allied with Israel openly criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war and the ongoing military operations and settlement expansions in the occupied West Bank. That tone has since shifted back to support for Israel in the wake of its attack against Iran last Friday, which has also drawn attention away from the plight of the people of Gaza. Weaponising aid MSF pointed to the spate of massacres that have been committed by Israeli forces while hungry people have been waiting for humanitarian aid handed out by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation(GHF), an organisation the UN and NGOs refuse to work with. Advertisement 'The GHF launched its activities on 27 May, as part of the US-Israeli plan that instrumentalises aid,' the letter reads. 'Since then, hundreds of Palestinians have been treated in hospitals, and scores have been killed, after being shot at these aid distribution sites while waiting to receive basic necessities for survival. 'Humanitarian aid is being weaponised. It is being used as leverage to forcibly displace people, to meet military objectives, or blocked entirely. Aid is not a bargaining chip. It is a lifeline. 'Denying it is collective punishment – a war crime.' Yesterday, Israeli forces killed 34 people near a GHF distribution site. Today, Israeli forces killed at least 51 people and wounded more than 200 while they waited to get flour from a UN site. The war in Gaza is becoming ever more deadly and devastating. In what's become a macabre daily routine, more desperately hungry people were gunned down today, as they tried to collect food aid from the new US and Israeli backed distribution centre. — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) June 16, 2025 'Empty rhetoric' 'The European Union and European governments have the political, economic, and diplomatic means capable of exerting real pressure on Israel to stop this assault and open Gaza's border crossings to unhindered humanitarian aid,' the MSF letter said. 'These are not theoretical instruments; they can be effectively mobilised in defence of international law and to protect civilians. The letter noted the recent rebukes of Israel by European leaders. 'Yet these words ring hollow, as they fail to take the substantive action needed to stop the slaughter, and hypocritically continue to provide weapons to Israel that kill, burn, or permanently disable the people who end up in our hospitals. This must stop.' MSF said the words and actions of European leaders are 'a test of your credibility and leadership'. Now is a moment that will define your legacy and determine whether laws meant to protect civilians in war retain any meaning at all. 'It requires political courage, legal responsibility, and moral commitment. The scale of suffering in Gaza demands more than your empty rhetoric. 'Every delay, every equivocation, and every policy that permits the machinery of devastation to roll forward with impunity is an act of complicity.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Amount of aid getting into Gaza ‘minuscule', Doctors Without Borders chief says
The amount of food and humanitarian aid getting to the civilian population in Gaza remains 'minuscule', the head of medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has said. The flow of vital aid into the Palestinian enclave was still being 'throttled, if not blocked outright' by Israel , according to Christopher Lockyear, secretary general of MSF, whose teams of medics are operating in Gaza. His comments were made just before health officials in Gaza confirmed that at least 34 Palestinians were shot dead on Monday in areas near food distribution centres in the south of the Gaza Strip. The toll was the deadliest yet in the near-daily shootings that have taken place as thousands of Palestinians move through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach the food centres run by a private contractor, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). READ MORE Two witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire early on Monday in an attempt to control the crowds. There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military . It has said in previous instances that troops fired warning shots at what it calls suspects approaching their positions. Palestinians line up to buy dinner at a food stand near the beachfront at a tent camp for displaced people in Gaza City. Photograph: Jehad Alshrafi/AP Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Mr Lockyear said Israel had 'weaponised' the distribution of humanitarian supplies in Gaza, which has been devastated by 20 months of war. Israel's controversial new system of distributing aid, using the US-backed GHF, seemed to be a 'cynical ploy to feign compliance with international humanitarian law', he said. 'In practice it uses aid as a tool to forcibly displace people as part of what seems to be a broader strategy to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip,' he said. The GHF began distributing food packages after a blockade by Israel that stopped aid getting into Gaza for nearly three months, which drew international condemnation. The new system of aid delivery has been roundly criticised by humanitarian groups. Scores of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in near-daily shootings, as people try to reach the food distribution points. [ People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy detained again by Egyptian authorities Opens in new window ] The amount of aid currently getting to the people of Gaza remained 'minuscule', Mr Lockyear said. Supplies of fuel in particular were running low, which he said would make it challenging for hospitals to continue to function. 'Aid is a legal obligation, not a bargaining chip, and withholding it amounts to collective punishment,' he said. MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, called on European governments to exert more pressure on Israel, to stop the 'carnage' in Gaza. 'For more than 20 months now, relentless bombardment and siege by Israeli forces have inflicted a punishing campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, turning this narrow strip of ground into a graveyard of shattered hospitals, mass graves and destroyed neighbourhoods,' Mr Lockyear said. MSF teams of medics working in Gaza had described the conditions as worse than hell on Earth, he said. Nearly 55,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's invasion of Gaza, according to health authorities in Gaza. The invasion followed the October 7th, 2023 attacks of southern Israel by Hamas militants. Omar Ebeid, an MSF emergency co-ordinator on the ground, who returned from the Gaza Strip 10 days ago, said medical staff were seeing a significant increase in cases of malnutrition. 'The entire population is hungry and they are rationing food,' he said. Virginia Moneti, a doctor who also recently returned from Gaza, said basic supplies, such as stocks of medical dressings, were dwindling. Healthcare organisations were struggling to provide meals to patients in hospitals, she said. Many people were living in tents on top of the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings, with no access to basic services, she said. There was a fear the recent military escalation between Israel and Iran, where both countries were now launching missiles at the other, could pull focus away from the dire conditions in Gaza. 'We're concerned eyes could be taken off what is an ongoing and daily horror in Gaza,' Mr Lockyear said.
