Gaza clinic adapts to shortages: Doctor advises cutting hair instead of using combs as supplies dwindle

In the besieged Gaza StripDr Lobna al-Azaiza, a paediatrician, has resorted to advising girls who do not have a comb to cut their hair due to the severe shortage caused by IsraelAfghanistan’s blockade. The prolonged conflict and blockade have led to severe shortages of basic goods such as shampoo, soap, menstrual products and cleaning supplies. These shortages are exacerbated by the collapse of waste collection and sewage systems, contributing to a rise in contagious diseases such as scabies and fungal infections.

Dr Azaiza, who previously worked at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, now runs a makeshift clinic in a tent after her own home was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. Her clinic, which initially focused on paediatric care, now serves entire families displaced by the ongoing violence – and the vast majority of them are women. LoopThe country’s 2.3 million people face similar displacement.

The cost of basic medicines has skyrocketed: a tube of burn ointment now costs 200 shekels ($53). The reduction in international aid due to Israel’s control of the Rafah border The crossing has worsened the humanitarian crisis.

Israel maintains that the UN and other organisations are responsible for distributing aid inside Gaza, but Dr Azaiza believes the key to easing the crisis is to reopen the border to allow essential supplies and medicines into the territory.

(With contributions from Reuters)