Tajammul Gurmani
The war in Gaza ended after 15 months, from 7 October 2023 to 7 January 2024. More than 47,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, including 18,000 children. The death toll means that one in every 50 people in Gaza has lost their life, while over 110,000 have been reported injured – that’s one in 20 people. After the ceasefire, counting the dead and retrieving bodies has become a huge challenge. Many missing persons remain trapped under rubble, and Gaza has become a graveyard. Those who survived the war face a bleak future. More than 700,000 children are out of school due to the conflict, and 1.9 million people in Gaza have been displaced, which accounts for 95 percent of the population. Tom Fletcher, Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, highlighted the situation during his briefing to the UN Security Council, noting that “children have been killed, starved, and frozen to death. They have been maimed, orphaned, and separated from their families. Conservative estimates indicate that over 17,000 children are without their families in Gaza. Some died before they could even take their first breath – perishing alongside their mothers in childbirth.” An estimated 150,000 pregnant women and new mothers urgently need health services, and according to UNICEF, one million children are in need of mental health support. Over 2 million people in Gaza rely on humanitarian aid, and member states must ensure that operations are well-funded. The 2025 Flash Appeal requires $4.07 billion to meet the needs of 3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank, with nearly 90 percent of the funds directed to Gaza. Funding this appeal is essential not only to meet massive needs but also to sustain the ceasefire. During a debate in the House of Lords on the current healthcare situation in Gaza, it was revealed that Gaza’s healthcare system is in crisis. Most medical facilities have been damaged beyond use, and the remaining hospitals are facing severe shortages of water, fuel, and medical supplies. The 1.9 million displaced people are at risk of malnutrition, starvation, and the spread of infectious diseases. The UK government has called for the protection of civilians and medical personnel, consistent access for aid agencies, and an end to the conflict. In addition to the risks of injury and death from the conflict, major health risks for displaced people in Gaza include food insecurity and malnutrition. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 91 percent of people are facing crisis levels or worse of food insecurity, with 345,000 people experiencing “catastrophic” levels. The lack of variety in available food has heightened the risk of malnutrition, especially among children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Water and sanitation are also major issues, with damaged water networks and poor sanitation contributing to health risks like exposure to waste, sewage, and pests. OCHA has reported alarming rates of microbiological contamination. Recent winter weather and inadequate shelter are also affecting displaced families. There is no maternity care capacity, and around 183 women give birth every day in Gaza. The few hospitals able to provide neonatal care are grappling with critical shortages of equipment, medications, and oxygen, and there is a lack of specialist staff.
Al Mustafa in Gaza
The Chairman of Al Mustafa Welfare Trust, Abdul Razzaq Sajid, said that after the ceasefire, as part of the Muslim Brotherhood, it is their moral and religious duty to help those in need. Al Mustafa has been working in Palestine since 2014, providing food aid, clean drinking water, winter clothing, medical assistance, orphan care, and education, including religious education at Masjid-e-Aqsa, the first Qibla of Muslims. In 2002, Al Mustafa signed an agreement with the Royal Court of Hashemite (JHCO) to start Quran recitation and Quran circle classes at Masjid-e-Aqsa. Al Mustafa also provides financial assistance to Muslim families to support small businesses. During the recent war in Gaza, Al Mustafa signed agreements with several organisations, including the Egyptian Red Crescent, Palestine Red Crescent, UNRWA, and JHCO, to provide food and medical aid. During the conflict, Al Mustafa reached around half a million people, delivering cooked meals, food packs, clean drinking water, winter clothing, and supporting five hospitals with the help of a Jordanian charity in Gaza.
Field Hospital in Egypt
After the ceasefire, Al Mustafa and the Egyptian Health Authority, an independent public organisation dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare services in Egypt, are working together to build a hospital for people who fled Gaza to the Egyptian border. This hospital is urgently needed, as, according to the Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt, Diab Al-Louh, over 105,000 Palestinians affected by the war had arrived in Egypt from Gaza before the Rafah crossing was closed. Many Palestinians, including the injured and sick, along with their companions, are waiting for medical aid, including around 1,000 cancer patients who had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital in Gaza. Al-Louh reported that around 40 to 50 Palestinians die every month in Egypt after leaving Gaza, no field hospital has yet been set up to treat the injured.
Project Details
Al Mustafa field hospital will be built in the Suez region of Egypt, near the Palestinian border, in partnership with the Egyptian Healthcare Authority. This field hospital is expected to take 2-3 months to construct. Medical teams are on standby, facilities are being prepared, and contracts have been signed. The hospital will be equipped with specialised tools to treat complex trauma and life-threatening injuries, offering urgent care to refugees from Gaza who require immediate medical attention. Patients will receive everything from complex surgeries to full rehabilitation once their medical asylum is approved. More than 15,000 Palestinians are waiting just across the border, in desperate need of medical care, and their conditions are worsening by the hour. Many will not survive without immediate intervention. Al Mustafa’s goal is to build a dedicated hospital for Palestinian refugees in Egypt, so as many Palestinians as possible can access the specialised surgical care they urgently need.
Construction and Budget
The modern field hospital will be equipped with three patient wards, two special triage units, one expandable intensive care unit (ICU), one operating theatre, radiology, laboratory and pharmacy, male and female toilets (three for each), an oxygen system, a 40kV diesel generator, and furniture. The total estimated budget for the project is £1,000,000.
