Gaza dentist resorts to street tent clinic as war destroys offices
Dr Rizq Sufyan Abo Halima is delivering dental care from a makeshift tent in Gaza City after repeated bombings and soaring rent have left him without a usable clinic.
In Gaza City, Dr Rizq Sufyan Abo Halima now works from a small tent pitched in an alley after his clinic, Smile One, was bombed in 2023 and a rebuilt office was destroyed three months after its May opening. With electricity outages common and most buildings either ruined or unaffordable—UNOSAT reports over four-fifths of structures are heavily damaged—he cannot secure conventional premises. Rent for the few remaining spaces has risen from 500 shekels to about $1,000, so he chose the tent to avoid passing steep costs to patients.
He sanitises his tools, employs a guard for security, and endures the summer heat to keep dental services accessible. Patients like 25-year-old Yousef Abo Halima cite the tent’s lower fees as a relief, while others, such as nurse Heba Rihan, witness patients forgo fillings in favor of cheaper extractions due to price pressures.
Why it matters
The story shows how the Gaza siege cripples basic health services, forcing providers to improvise under dangerous conditions.
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