Indonesian Mer-C Volunteers in Gaza Fall Ill Amid Water, Medical Crisis

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two Indonesian medical volunteers in Gaza who opted to stay in Gaza have fallen ill and are still recovering. They are Fikri Rofiul Haq and Reza Aldilla Kurniawan, who are part of the Indonesia-based volunteer organization Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C). 

According to MER-C, they started feeling unwell last Thursday, January 25, with a fever and sore throat. Fikri shared with Tempo his experience of getting sick in Gaza, which is still under bombardment and surrounded by Israel.

“The problem is the difficulty in finding medicine, clean water, and food,” Fikri said via a video call on Tuesday, January 30.

Fikri and Reza are staying in southern Gaza, precisely at a government school near the European Hospital in Khan Younis. He stressed that all people in the besieged enclave have difficulty accessing basic needs due to Israel’s tight blockade of humanitarian assistance.

Stocks of medicine in pharmacies and hospitals are running low amid the relentless Israeli bombardment, which has been going on for almost four months since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Fikri said that supplies of medicine and food to Gaza continue to be blocked by the Israeli military.

He said they could not get to the hospital for treatment as the health facilities were flooded with injured victims. Meanwhile, roads to several other hospitals are inaccessible due to Israeli ground attacks.

Fikri also said that the Indonesian government continued to maintain contact with him and Reza. When asked if he still wanted to stay in Gaza, Fikri smiled slightly and said, “I think this could be a test given to us by Allah. It's winter right now, the seasons are changing, so it's common to get sick,” he said.

“Inshallah, Mas Reza and I will remain steady and continue to help the people in the Gaza Strip and stay in Gaza,” Fikri said.

NABIILA AZZAHRA A.

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