NEW YORK - US President Joe Biden's administration should drastically increase its supply of medicine and medical equipment to hospitals in Gaza, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Peter Welch (D-VT) wrote in a letter Thursday to the president.
According to a release from Warren's office, the last remaining functioning hospitals do not have the medicines and supplies needed to be considered “fully operational,” and no hospitals have the capacity to provide critical trauma care. Sixteen of the 22 health centers operated by the United Nations are no longer in operation, and products including “insulin and blood are in extreme shortage.”
The Democrats' demands from Biden
The senators outlined four specific actions they want to see Biden take:
Urgently mobilize airlifts of medicine and medical equipment directly to the few remaining functional hospitals.
Seek absolute assurances that the Israeli government will protect medical infrastructure and personnel.
Urgently consider sending the US Navy’s two hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort, which would add 2,000 beds to the effort.
Finally: Work with allies and partners to establish additional field hospitals to increase bed capacity and care.
The senators gave Biden an April 17 deadline to respond to their requests.
“A sea change is desperately needed,” the senators wrote. “The combination of Israeli restrictions on access to humanitarian aid and the harm caused by relentless bombing and shelling has devastated Gaza’s healthcare capacities at a time when the need for urgent care is soaring. It is critical that the United States leverage its unique capabilities to urgently and dramatically ramp up medical support to the people of Gaza.”