"Each of these individuals is more than just a number; each one carries a unique story, a profound tragedy, a home filled with memories, a family left grieving—don’t they deserve to be remembered?"

To understand how it has managed to document tens of thousands of dead in Gaza to a high degree of accuracy, the processes it has used, and the philosophy behind it, Drop Site conducted an interview with Dr. Zaher al-Wahaidi, director of the information center at the Ministry of Health in Gaza who is based at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

The first source is e-Hospital, a computerized program, which monitors all emergency departments in government hospitals. Any casualty brought to a government hospital is registered in the emergency department through the electronic system, and the information is automatically transferred to the repository.

The second source is an Excel file provided by field hospitals that offer emergency services and handle mass casualties, like the Red Cross hospital, the Kuwaiti field hospital and so forth. These hospitals document the casualties in the Excel sheet, which they supply to us; we then process this file and upload it to our system.

A third source was introduced in January – a link provided by the Ministry of Health for reporting martyrs who had not reached ministry hospitals, remained trapped under rubble, or who could not be identified.

DSN: So the number announced by the Ministry of Health, for example, around 41,000 martyrs, could potentially be higher, but this is the figure you were able to confirm?

Dr. Zaher al-Wahaidi Correct. 41,266 martyrs [official ministry of health tally on September 16, 2024], as per the latest report. Bear in mind that the ministry releases multiple figures. The first figure of 41,266 martyrs represents the total number of martyrs who have reached the ministry’s hospitals.

  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
    23·
    2 days ago

    Pretty long article another interesting part:

    DSN: You mentioned that the number of martyrs has reached 41,266. What do you estimate the actual number to be, considering the individuals who have not been accounted for?

    Dr. Zaher al-Wahaidi: The estimates from the Government Media Office indicate that the number of martyrs is 50,000, as at least 10,000 are still under the rubble. This is the declared number, and there are unreported figures as well. There are combat areas like Rafah with dozens or hundreds of bodies that we know nothing about. The estimates from the Civil Defense indicate that there are 50 or more residents in buildings from which no one has been recovered from under the rubble. In the areas of “contact,” like the Netzarim and Philadelphi corridors, there are dozens of bodies that have not been recovered, and we know nothing about them, and perhaps they have not even been reported.

    DSN: Besides the number of martyrs, do you also document deaths caused by starvation and diseases?

    Dr. Zaher al-Wahaidi: We do keep track of these cases, but the Ministry of Health has a policy of recording only direct casualties of war, such as those caused by missile strikes or war-related injuries. There are other deaths indirectly caused by the war, but we do not add them to the list of martyrs. For example, children who die due to malnutrition, lack of care, or because their mothers gave birth under difficult conditions and carried them in poor health, resulting in the birth of an underdeveloped infant who dies after a few days or lacked proper feeding, these cases are documented but not recorded as martyrs.