“"I think that what's happening in Sudan is equally as grim and horrific as what is going on there. But having said that, nothing compares to what is happening in Gaza. I've been to Ukraine three times, but it's absolutely nothing like what's going on here in terms of the civilian population. In Ukraine, you hear about strikes on civilian infrastructure on occasion, that's true, but the majority is armed forces fighting armed forces. Here, it's a different scenario."”
Summary (see link for full testimony)
Disaster zone volunteer surgeon says “nothing compares to what is happening in Gaza”
The article presents Dr. Tomo Potokar, a British surgeon who arrived in the Gaza Strip as part of humanitarian aid efforts. Potokar, who has previously volunteered in disaster zones such as Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan, describes the situation in Gaza as exceptionally severe. According to him, the level of destruction, shortage of medical supplies, and working conditions under continuous bombardments are unlike almost anywhere else he has worked.
He recounts that the hospital where he had been working was bombed, forcing the medical team to evacuate and relocate to a substitute facility under much harsher conditions. Despite this, he refuses to leave Gaza, stressing the importance of remaining in order to provide even basic medical care to the injured.
Potokar cites difficult cases of civilian casualties, including children with severe injuries, amputations, and severe burn victims. He describes the case of a child who arrived with a grave leg wound, where the medical staff had to treat him without sufficient anesthesia. According to him, such incidents illustrate both the helplessness of the medical teams and the scale of civilian suffering in the Strip.
The article emphasizes that Potokar views his mission not only as a medical task but also as a humanitarian one, aimed at making the international community recognize the reality on the ground: “Anyone with a heart can see only human suffering.”