Gaza is confronting a medical oxygen crisis as most of its oxygen-generation infrastructure has stopped working, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reports that only 12 of the enclave’s 34 oxygen-generation stations remain operational.

With more than two-thirds of these stations offline, the supply of medical oxygen across the besieged territory has been severely reduced. Al Jazeera describes the shortage as worsening the health crisis facing the population.

Medical oxygen is essential for treating patients with respiratory conditions, those requiring surgery, and critically ill people who depend on a steady supply to survive. When generation capacity fails, hospitals and clinics often rely on individual cylinders to keep patients breathing.

Al Jazeera’s reporting frames the situation around this dependence, with breathing for some patients hinging on the availability of a single cylinder. The loss of generation stations places added strain on remaining facilities and the limited resources still available.

The report situates the oxygen shortage within the broader conditions in Gaza, which it describes as a besieged enclave. The reduction in functioning stations compounds existing pressures on the health system.