Mariam Abu Dagga

Today I gave $10,000 to Doctors Without Borders, since they’re doing a lot of good work in Gaza. I made this gift in memory of Mariam Abu Dagga, a freelance photographer who was killed in the Nasser Hospital in the Gaza Strip on August 25th this year.

After the Israeli air force bombed this hospital, Mariam abu Dagga and other journalists rushed in to check on the well-being of their colleague, Reuters journalist Hussam al-Masri. He had fact been killed. In a ‘double tap’ attack, the Israeli air force then dropped more bombs, killing Dagga and others.

Wikipedia writes:

Dagga was known for documenting the experiences of displaced Palestinians, and of doctors who treated wounded or malnourished children, with “rare honesty and courage.” [2][3] Independent Arabia described Dagga as an “example of dedication and professional commitment,” bringing “her camera into the heart of the field.” [3] Associated Press Executive Director and Senior Vice President Julian Pace said that Dagga’s difficult journalistic work in Gaza was remarkable, particularly for her “coverage of the war’s impact on children.” [5]

Dagga won an internal award at the Associated Press for her coverage of malnourished children in Gaza. [5]

Speaking to the BBC, Palestinian journalist Hadar al-Qurd described Dagga as one of the most active female journalists in southern Gaza. [1] Al-Qurd said that other journalists relied on Dagga for the news and information that she gathered in her work. [1] Al-Qurd noted that Dagga was especially brave, always carrying her camera, and often going to the sites of airstrikes directly; she also noted that Dagga was a champion of the rights of female journalists in Gaza. [1] Other colleagues also noted Dagga’s bravery as a war correspondent. [3] Al Jazeera journalist Youmna El Sayed noted that Dagga had visibly lost a significant amount of weight during the war. [6]

Due to Israel’s repeated targeting and killing of journalists in the Gaza War, Dagga wrote her will during the conflict.

I urge you all to help Doctors Without Borders (= Medecines san Frontiers), who are doing good work in Gaza and other afflicted regions. They write:

MSF has over 1,300 staff working in Gaza’s hospitals, clinics, and other facilities, including our field hospital in Deir al-Balah and our clinic in Gaza City. Our teams provide surgical care, wound and burn care, malnutrition screening and treatment, maternal and pediatric care, physiotherapy, vaccination, mental health support, water and sanitation support, and care for non-communicable diseases, among other services. We are also providing rehabilitative care for war-wounded children we’ve managed to evacuate to our reconstructive surgery hospital in Amman, Jordan.

Facilities MSF has run or supported in Gaza

MSF teams have carried out lifesaving work in health facilities across Gaza, including in the Strip’s largest hospitals and our own clinics and field hospital. However, due to extremely volatile conditions on the ground—including attacks on health facilities and recurrent evacuation orders—our teams have had to move from facility to facility and continually adapt our activities. Hospitals and clinics we have supported during this war include:

• Nasser Hospital, European Gaza Hospital, and Martyrs, Beni Suhaila, Khan Younis, Al-Qarara, and Al-Attar clinics in Khan Younis • Al-Aqsa Hospital and the MSF field hospital in Deir al-Balah     • Al-Awda Hospital and mobile clinics in northern Gaza • Al-Shifa Hospital, Al Helou Maternity Hospital, and our clinic in Gaza City    • Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital, Emirati Maternity Hospital, Al-Najjar Hospital, and Al-Mawasi Health Post in Rafah

Water and sanitation activities

A lack of drinkable water, poor sanitation, and the destruction of water infrastructure have had dire consequences for people’s health in Gaza. Of more than 82,000 primary health care consultations MSF conducted in the first two months of this year, nearly a fifth were related to conditions linked with lack of water and hygiene, such as scabies and other skin conditions. This is why water distribution is an important part of MSF’s response.  

Between January and the end of April 2025, MSF teams distributed over 60 million liters of clean water and produced over 7.8 million liters through desalination. However, the already-dire water crisis in Gaza has worsened after Israeli authorities halted aid from entering the Strip on March 2, and then cut electricity on March 9, as water pumps and desalination plants require fuel and power to operate.

Humanitarian aid and medical supplies

Since Israeli authorities halted the flow of humanitarian aid and other supplies into the Strip on March 2, food, fuel, and medical stocks have been depleted. This total blockade of aid has deprived people of most basic needs and could lead to a high number of health complications and deaths.

Prior to the total siege, MSF provided over 636 tons of logistic and medical equipment from our international supply centers—as much as 30 planes or 130 trucks full. However, some supplies that are critical to our operations and the security of our staff have been difficult to transport into Gaza. These include generators, desalination stations and motor pumps, oxygen concentrators, vehicles, and equipment for communication.