A Surgeon's Gripping Account from the Frontlines of Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis

Amidst an unceasing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Dr. Victoria Rose reflects on her harrowing experiences as a volunteer surgeon, where she confronted the devastating effects of violence, particularly on children, during her time at Nasser Hospital.

Dr. Victoria Rose, a senior plastic surgeon from London, recently returned from an intense 21-day volunteering mission in Gaza, where she witnessed firsthand the overwhelming desperation and despair of the local population caught in the escalating conflict. Having previously served in humanitarian efforts across the globe, including in regions like Bosnia and Sri Lanka, her experiences in Gaza proved to be particularly harrowing.

On June 1, as her volunteer stint was concluding, she arrived at Nasser Hospital to an influx of victims from a mass shooting near a food distribution point. "There were ambulances coming in, just bringing dead bodies," she reported, recalling the horrifying sight of loss and tragedy. Within a few hours, the emergency room was inundated with traumatized patients, with many arriving in dire conditions.

Dr. Rose expressed her shock at the severity and volume of injuries. She noted an alarming trend: unlike her prior trips during the ongoing conflict, an increasing number of patients came in with catastrophic burns and severe wounds resulting from bomb blasts. "Children were coming in with knees missing and feet missing and hands missing," she lamented.

The situation in southern Gaza, particularly at Nasser Hospital—the last operational medical facility in the area—has reached unprecedented levels of strain, leaving medical professionals like Dr. Rose grappling with the grim reality of war's consequences on civilians. As she recounted her experiences, the images of despair and suffering she encountered etched themselves into her memory, reminding her of the critical need for humanitarian assistance in the region.