Hong Kong nurse Krystal So Hin-pui can still vividly recall the cries of civilians as shells and bombs rained down on the Gaza Strip, the sounds staying with her weeks after she safely returned from a humanitarian mission to the war zone.
But the 35-year-old midwife said it only took the first cries of a newborn baby to give her a small glimmer of hope amid widespread feelings of distress, frustration and helplessness in the region.
“It was May 8, we had our first normal delivery, and we all cried together … the more than 1,000 babies that were born [during my time there] were the blessing and joy of the people of Gaza,” she said.
“But still, there were many cases of stillbirth and premature birth because the pregnant women were often under immense stress and fleeing for their lives.”
So embarked on a six-week humanitarian mission to the war-torn Gaza Strip in May, the only medical volunteer from Hong Kong dispatched by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
The nurse joined the mission hoping to empower underprivileged women living in developing countries, and was among those who helped reopen a major hospital previously stormed by Israeli forces.
So also set up a series of sex and reproductive health services in the area, including establishing a clinic for victims of sexual violence.
“There are often more cases of sexual violence in warzones and refugee camps … because the intensified conflicts have resulted in more tension and emotional distress among civilians, and they are not subject to any protection or privacy,” she said.
The nurse said deeply rooted traditional values and gender inequality also contributed to such incidents in Gaza, while many women and children were deprived of much-needed medical help.
The clinic she established offered check-ups and counselling services to victims in a bid to help them through their traumas and treat any sexually transmitted diseases.
One of the most heartbreaking cases she saw at the clinic involved a three-year-old girl who contracted a sexually transmitted disease after being molested, with the toddler struggling to express what had happened and how medical workers could help.
Staff at the clinic used anatomical dolls to help the girl explain what happened to her, allowing them to prescribe the drugs she needed.
So said she also established a breastfeeding space for new mothers after seeing many lacked private spaces in refugee camps, as well as setting up family planning services and nutritional programmes – all of which were rarities in the area.
Nasser Hospital, located in southern Gaza, reopened a week after MSF arrived and was immediately overwhelmed with fresh patients, with the provision of services reaching more than three times the site’s original capacity.
The huge demand for medical services forced patients to either share beds or to lie on the floors, So said.
The nurse said civilians and medical workers were under immense stress due to the shortage of food, water, fuel, medical supplies and personnel, all exacerbated by the closure of the border and the loss of loved ones to air strikes.
Poor hygiene conditions at refugee camps also resulted in the spread of infectious diseases, she said.
“The war has to stop to truly help the civilians,” she stressed.
So added that while she had taken part in humanitarian missions to Bangladesh, the Mediterranean Sea, Haiti and Nepal, going to Gaza marked her first time working in a conflict zone.
But the nurse said she had not been too worried about her safety since she had been mentally prepared and received security training.
“There is no safe space in Gaza, you need to be there to feel their fear to provide emotional support,” she said.
“I will go back if there is a chance, especially when I focus on children and women’s health services, which requires someone experienced to deliver.”
According to MSF, the Israel-Gaza war has killed more than 39,000 people, injured over 90,000 and displaced almost 2 million.
Ashley To Hiu-kum, head of communications for MSF Hong Kong, said the NGO would continue to dispatch medical volunteers on humanitarian missions to the region if feasible.
