SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellite will soon provide access to the UAE’s field hospital in southern Gaza, offering a vital link for live video consultations and enhanced medical care.

Since the conflict began in October, frequent communication blackouts and power outages have hindered efforts to deliver aid and coordinate care.

With Starlink, healthcare professionals will have a dependable, high-speed internet connection, allowing them to consult with international specialists such as those from London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital and the US Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

The 150-bed field hospital, established in December, has already provided treatment to over 3,500 patients. With Starlink, its services can expand to offer a broader range of care, including internal medicine, dentistry, family medicine, and even psychiatric treatment.

Last week, a 100-bed floating hospital set sail, equipped with operating rooms, intensive care facilities, and a dedicated evacuation team. Both initiatives provide a crucial lifeline to Gazans grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis.

Starlink’s constellation of satellites, orbiting between 200km and 2,000km above Earth, offers high-speed, low-latency internet access, a notable departure from the disrupted communication networks affecting Gaza. This technology, often linked with futuristic concepts, now offers tangible hope in a region torn by conflict.

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