World News
Gaza dentists set up tent clinics amid widespread destruction and high rents
Extensive structural damage and rising property costs have forced medical practitioners in Gaza City to operate in makeshift street tents to keep basic dental care affordable.
The short version
- Widespread destruction of infrastructure and bans on building materials have sharply driven up commercial rent across Gaza City.
- Dentists are resorting to makeshift tents in alleyways to provide care without passing exorbitant real estate overhead to patients.
- Financial hardship and resource shortages are forcing patients to choose cheap, permanent extractions over restorative treatments.
Key facts
- The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) reported that over four in five buildings in Gaza City and northern Gaza are completely destroyed or severely damaged, leaving fewer than 20 percent usable.[Al Jazeera]
- Due to severe scarcity and restrictions on building materials, monthly apartment rental rates in Gaza City have risen from about 500 shekels ($166) prior to the war to around $1,000.[Al Jazeera]
- Dentists operating in makeshift street tents face operational obstacles including extreme summer heat, frequent electricity cuts, and heightened sanitation risks.[Al Jazeera]
- Clinic staff report that patients unable to afford restorative fillings, priced around 350 shekels ($116), frequently opt for cheaper extractions at roughly 50 shekels ($17).[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- The timeline and terms for permitting construction materials into northern Gaza to rebuild destroyed medical facilities and residential properties remain unspecified.[Al Jazeera]