His appointment at Al-Shifa Hospital was at 9:00 AM, but he didn’t arrive until 11:00 AM. The delay wasn’t due to a passing traffic jam, but rather because the journey from Jabalia to Sheikh Radwan began as a walk, then continued as he searched for transportation in a sector where public transport no longer guarantees appointments for work or medical treatment.
This isn’t just a story of missed appointments. Many residents of the Gaza Strip leave their workplaces or medical appointments hours early, waiting for overcrowded vehicles and walking on damaged roads, while local workshops try to keep worn-out vehicles operational with whatever spare parts they can find.
An Al Jazeera report, prepared by Shadi Shamia from Gaza, documents how the daily commute has become extra time that residents steal from work, medical treatment, and rest, amidst a scarcity of vehicles and shortages of fuel, oil, tires, and spare parts.
One resident says he leaves an hour or an hour and a half early to search for transportation, as the wait can be long, or he might find only vehicles full of passengers. On this journey, it’s not enough to know your destination; you first need a means of transport that will take you there.
These details are repeated in work and medical trips: waiting on the side of the road, finding no available seats in crowded vehicles, or having to walk extra distances. Even those who find transportation can’t always guarantee it will complete the journey, given the damaged roads and vehicles that frequently break down.
In an effort to keep things moving, alternative transportation methods have emerged, including cars pulling carts designed for transporting passengers, while local workshops are working to repair engines and vehicles with whatever resources they have. However, these efforts don’t mean transportation will return to normal; they only postpone its complete shutdown.
The problem doesn’t end with people being late for work or medical appointments. An official at the Ministry of Health in Gaza warns of the potential shutdown of buses transporting employees and healthcare workers due to shortages of batteries, tires, oil, and spare parts needed for maintenance.
He says the ministry has contacted international organizations, including the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to request the entry of maintenance supplies, warning that a bus shutdown will affect staff access to healthcare facilities. In Gaza, the appointment doesn’t begin at the appointed time. It begins long before, with the search for a seat, the wait for a vehicle, or the preparation to walk part of the way. And while the remaining vehicles struggle to stay on the road, reaching work or seeking medical treatment remains a possibility, not a promise.
