*New* Webinar on The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza and Public Health Responses (2/26/24)
Posted: 2/22/2024 ()
The Department of Global Health is sponsoring a special webinar on Feb 26 to discuss and describe public health responses to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The event will be virtual and take place from 11:30-1:00PM. The goal of this webinar panel will be to provide a more detailed understanding to the UW community of the public health aspects of the crisis and the role of global health professionals addressing current and anticipated health needs of the population. Learn more on the event page and register on Zoom here.
The crisis has become what relief agencies and global health specialists call a “Complex Humanitarian Emergency” or CHE, in which war or natural disaster destroy community infrastructure leading to mass displacement combined with lack of basic services and access to basic needs. CHEs are characterized by extremely high levels of civilian mortality, mass population dislocation, malnutrition, and disease. Since October 2023, nearly 30,000 Gazans, mostly women and children, have been killed and nearly 2 million have been displaced. But public health officials warn that many more lives are threatened now from malnutrition and infectious disease outbreaks common to CHEs in displaced populations without access to food, water, shelter, or medical services. Dozens of International relief agencies and UN organizations have been struggling to provide support and services amidst ongoing fighting. Many of these agencies have been outspoken about the unusually intense and enormous scale of the humanitarian catastrophe. The longer term consequences of the crisis will eventually require a massive rebuilding effort that includes reconstruction of a destroyed health infrastructure as well as basic infrastructure, housing, schools and other institutions for community recuperation.
- Aisha Jumaan (Yemen Relief and Construction Foundation)
- Zeena Salman (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund)
- Yara Asi (Palestinian academic and author of recent book on war and health in the region)
- Dhabie Brown (Norwegian Refugee Council)
- Len Rubenstein (Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and Director of Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition)
Please register here: https://washington.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nQjiWDAbRRG2Bx1vCljf0Q#/registration