Each year thousands of Palestinians suffer from conflict-related violence. In 2021 alone, Israeli forces and settlers injured more than 18,300 people across Palestine. To improve the capacity of Palestinians to respond to people’s medical needs, teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have trained community volunteers in first aid, trained hospital staff in dealing with mass casualty events, and donated drugs to major hospitals across Palestine.
Qualified as a schoolteacher, 22-year-old Omar Basam Abu Hamad has been volunteering as a paramedic since 2014. He lives in Al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron city, where a single health centre serves some 9,500 Palestinians. With the health centre struggling to cover residents’ needs, community volunteers like Omar often help in bringing health services to local people.
