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Kuwaiti Hospital in Khan Younis suspended services due to fuel supply halt

The Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Younis suspended all services except emergency care on September 20, citing a halt in fuel supplies. This comes amid a broader crisis: more than 70% of hospital generators in the Gaza Strip are not working, and only 12 of 34 oxygen stations are operational.

3 events in story4 sourcesVerified · 15/16 claims supported
Kuwaiti Hospital in Khan Younis suspended services due to fuel supply halt
Photo: Al Jazeera English

Sources

· 4

Key points

  • The Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Younis suspended all services except the emergency department on September 20 due to a halt in fuel supplies.
  • More than 70% of hospital generators in Gaza have completely failed due to the Israeli blockade, according to Zaher al-Wahidi, director of the information center at Gaza's Ministry of Health.
  • According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, only 12 of the 34 oxygen stations in the Strip are operational, and only four of the 30 cylinder filling devices are working.
  • WHO announced that as of September 19 it would stop diesel fuel deliveries to more than 20 medical facilities in Gaza due to funding shortages.

What happened

The Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Younis announced on September 20 the forced suspension of all operations except the emergency department. The hospital said the suspension was caused by a halt in fuel supplies needed for its operation.

More than 70% of hospital generators in the Gaza Strip have completely failed due to the Israeli blockade. Gaza's Ministry of Health reported on August 15 that only 12 of the 34 oxygen stations in the Strip are operational, and only four of the 30 oxygen cylinder filling devices are working. Families caring for oxygen-dependent patients face recurring emergencies when cylinders run out.

Why it matters

Zaher al-Wahidi, director of the information center at Gaza's Ministry of Health, warned that critical and life-saving hospital departments could at any moment lose the ability to provide services. For oxygen-dependent patients, running out of cylinders results in recurring emergencies, including for a 14-year-old boy whose breathing sharply deteriorated when his oxygen supply ran out at night.

What changed

The World Health Organization announced that as of September 19 it would stop diesel fuel deliveries to more than 20 hospitals and medical centers in Gaza due to funding shortages. On September 20, the Kuwaiti field hospital confirmed that the suspension was caused by the halt in fuel supplies.

Who's affected

The hospital warned that thousands of patients are being deprived of treatment daily. Oxygen-dependent patients and the families caring for them face recurring emergencies when cylinders run out.

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