Gaza: As the sun rises over displacement tents in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, 77-year-old Fathi Haji embarks on a challenging journey to receive kidney dialysis treatment. His trek on a donkey-drawn cart, accompanied by an oxygen cylinder, underscores the dire medical situation faced by many under Israeli restrictions.
According to Anadolu Agency, Haji traverses approximately 3 kilometers from his tent in al-Mawasi to the Nasser Medical Complex three times a week. This journey is necessitated by the scarcity of transportation and deteriorating medical services amid Israel's ongoing war on Gaza. Haji's dialysis sessions have been reduced from four to two hours due to a shortage of essential medical supplies, like sodium bicarbonate, necessary for treating blood acidity during dialysis.
Displaced from the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City by Israeli bombardment, Haji has been living in a tent since developing kidney failure in early 2026. His journey is made more arduous by the lack of ambulances or other means of transport, forcing him to endure the harsh sun until he reaches the dialysis center. The transport sector in Gaza has been severely affected by infrastructure destruction, fuel shortages, and restrictions on spare parts and essential supplies.
Haji's ordeal continues even after reaching the hospital, where he often waits for a dialysis machine to become available. His return to the tent is marked by extreme exhaustion and a lack of realization of the ordeal he has undergone until he rests. In addition to kidney failure, Haji suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, and breathing problems, and he struggles to find necessary medications due to electricity cuts affecting oxygen devices in his tent.
Haji appeals to the international community to facilitate the entry of medicines and dialysis supplies, emphasizing that patients are "dying slowly" due to ongoing shortages. His situation is emblematic of the broader crisis affecting kidney patients in Gaza.
Raed Musleh, a nephrology consultant at the Nasser Medical Complex, highlights that kidney patients face an escalating crisis due to shortages of medicines and essential supplies. The lack of sodium bicarbonate forced the reduction of dialysis sessions, directly impacting patient health. The Noura al-Kaabi dialysis center, facing heavy pressure and shortages, serves around 250 patients despite these challenges.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 700 dialysis patients in Gaza are at risk due to supply shortages. The lack of sodium bicarbonate has reduced dialysis sessions and disrupted machines in various centers.
Musleh also notes a shortage of erythropoietin, essential for kidney failure patients to produce red blood cells and reduce anemia. A UN report from June 2026 reveals that this medicine has been unavailable in Gaza since September 2025, leading to increased reliance on blood transfusions and straining limited blood stocks. Repeated transfusions have resulted in some patients contracting viral hepatitis and other complications.
Despite small quantities of essential supplies entering Gaza in late July, shortages persist. The UN reports that only 44% of pre-October 2023 health service points were operational by mid-July 2026. The UN Population Fund indicates that 94% of Gaza's hospitals are either destroyed or partially functioning, with more than half of health facilities unable to provide services.
Approximately 350,000 patients with chronic diseases face severe treatment disruptions due to shortages of medicines and specialized equipment. This crisis persists as Israel continues attacks and restrictions in Gaza despite a ceasefire initiated in October 2025. Since the genocide began in October 2023, over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, with more than 174,000 injured and a significant portion of Gaza's civilian infrastructure destroyed.