News Room / News Gaza hospitals at breaking point following air raids "This is the worst situation I have ever seen in Gaza. I visited a hospital and there were bodies outside and people crying. Buildings are totally destroyed. It’s really horrific. We are working now to get aid to the hospitals" IR's Hatem Shurrab. Islamic Relief (IR) has launched an emergency appeal for $3 million to purchase urgent medical supplies and humanitarian aid to assist people in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical sources say that so far more than 270 people have been killed and hundreds injured following a massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israeli fighter jets on Saturday and Sunday morning. IR is one of the largest aid agencies working on the ground in Gaza. IR's emergency team spent Saturday purchasing life saving medication and medical equipment to stock Gaza's main Al Shifa Hospital. An emergency assessment team has been travelling across the Gaza Strip gathering information about the humanitarian need. Alongside medication and food there are reports that homes have been destroyed in the attacks and families are in need of shelter.

Aid workers report a scene of desperation in Gaza:

“This is the worst situation I have ever seen in Gaza. I visited a hospital and there were bodies outside and people crying. Buildings are totally destroyed. It’s really horrific. We are working now to get aid to the hospitals” said Hatem Shurrab, an IR aid worker in Gaza.

Due to the ongoing blockade of Gaza and limited humanitarian access Gaza's 1.5 million population has been suffering from increasing poverty. An estimated 1.1million Palestinians in Gaza are now dependent on humanitarian aid. Malnutrition rates are on the rise and unemployment is at an all time high.

Hospitals are suffering from power cuts and because fuel is in short supply vulnerable patients with medical conditions are unable to receive regular treatment.

IR will be sourcing aid from inside Gaza and from neighbouring countries to respond to the ongoing emergency.

IR Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said:

"Aid agencies like Islamic Relief are on the ground providing life saving aid but we need full and immediate humanitarian access to Gaza to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians.”