Gaza's Starving Doctors: A Harrowing Story from the Frontlines

Fri Oct 17 2025 12:03:46 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, a medic recently evacuated from Gaza, reveals the dire circumstances faced by healthcare workers in the besieged region, battling starvation while treating malnourished patients amidst ongoing conflict.

Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, who was evacuated from Gaza, shares the agony of leaving his colleagues behind while grappling with hunger. The conditions in Gaza’s hospitals are critical, as medical professionals face starvation while trying to care for an influx of injured civilians. He reflects on the stark contrast between life in Dublin and the atrocities left behind in Gaza.

For two decades, Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib devoted his life to healing, but the ongoing crisis in Gaza left him with a grim choice: to prioritize his survival amid rampant hunger. Recently evacuated to Dublin, the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) doctor described the physical pain of starvation he endured while working in hospitals beset by violence and resource scarcity.

I never imagined starving, Dr. Abu Mughaisib said, recounting his experiences. His situation escalated to the point where he could barely take care of himself while trying to save others.

Evacuated in mid-September along with students, he now grapples with the feelings of guilt and sorrow for leaving his colleagues in Gaza, who continue to face dire circumstances marked by Israeli offensives that have devastated medical infrastructure.

Reflecting in a tranquil Dublin park, he expressed the overwhelming contrast between the peaceful environment and the chaos he left behind, stating, I’m physically here but my heart and soul are in Gaza. It’s strange seeing people living a normal life. He feels joy for his survival yet sadness for those still in harm's way.

As head of operations for MSF in Gaza, he oversaw services stretched to the limit. With resources dwindling, medical professionals resorted to sipping glucose for energy. Conversations among staff turned into desperate dialogues centered on food as their patients kept flooding in, often lacking basic necessities.

Starving doctors were treating malnutrition, he noted. Describing the hellish conditions within the hospitals, he said, When you enter a hospital, you smell blood. It’s like going to a public market, with patients lying on the ground due to lack of beds.

More than 18,000 of the deceased recorded during the current conflict are children, illustrating the devastating toll the war has taken. Dr. Abu Mughaisib’s colleague died from injuries sustained by an Israeli strike, further underscoring the perilous reality faced by medical workers in Gaza.

As he adjusts to life outside of conflict, he still mourns the loss of his community. Dr. Abu Mughaisib stressed, I wanted to take all of Gaza with me... the wounds are not just physical. They are social, psychological, emotional, and spiritual. Healing will take a long time, and the people will need the support of the world to recover.