LONDON: Palestinian TV journalist Amr Al-Dahoudi collapsed live on air while reporting from Gaza, sparking widespread concern and outrage across social media.
In the video footage that circulated over the weekend, Al-Dahoudi is seen struggling to maintain his balance before disappearing from view and inadvertently hitting the camera.
The incident occurred as the presenter from Palestine TV was inquiring about the conditions faced by the population in Gaza.
Local reports indicate that Al-Dahoudi collapsed due to exhaustion and starvation, though his current condition remains uncertain.
In a statement posted on X, the State of Palestine expressed profound dismay, stating: “What we are witnessing is the erosion of humanity in the 21st century.”
A correspondent for Palestine TV literally collapses while on air bc of exhaustion & hunger. What we are witnessing is the demise of humanity in the 21st cent. Words are not enough to take this type of horror into account @AP @AJEnglish @PamelaFalk @michellenichols @mehdirhasan https://t.co/OK8d35VxY9
— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) January 28, 2024
On Monday, UNRWA, the largest UN agency operating in Gaza, which is facing scandal after nine staff members were alleged to be involved in Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, said the situation is “extremely desperate” and that “the humanitarian needs in Gaza are growing by the hour.”
Several countries announced that they would suspend funding to UNRWA on the basis of the allegations, prompting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch an appeal, saying the loss of funds would jeopardize aid to Gaza for the entire month.
“Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment,” Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner general, said. “This stains all of us.”
Gaza’s journalists, often the sole lifeline of information from within the strip, endure conditions mirroring those of the broader population: extreme malnutrition, exhaustion, emotional and physical trauma, disease, and, in many cases, death.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that since the onset of the conflict on Oct. 7, at least 83 journalists and media workers have been among the more than 27,000 casualties.
The Israeli army informed news agencies Reuters and Agence France-Presse that it could not guarantee the safety of journalists operating in the Gaza Strip, despite requests for assurances against Israeli strikes.
Journalists in Gaza face heightened risks as they attempt to cover the conflict amid Israeli ground assaults, enduring devastating airstrikes, disrupted communications, supply shortages, and prolonged power outages.
Last week, Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza, a prominent reporter of the Gaza war, was evacuated from the strip, finding refuge in Qatar.
To his 18.5 million Instagram followers, Azaiza announced in an online video his intention to shed the “heavy, stinking (press) vest” temporarily, vowing to return and contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction.
