Officials from the United Nations in Gaza are warning of a catastrophic health and humanitarian situation there, sending emergency calls to the international community for help. The health ministry in Gaza says hospitals are overwhelmed attempting to treat mass casualties who were injured during protests at the border with Israel. CGTN's Noor Harazeen has our report.

Commissioner-General for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Pierre Krahenbuhl toured health facilities in Gaza on Tuesday. He said he's been shocked by the recent violence on the Gaza-Israel border, and the means used by Israeli soldiers to control Palestinian protestors. Krahenbuhl made his statement at a press conference in Gaza, as he discussed the collapsing health situation in the coastal territory.

PIERRE KRAHENBUHL UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL "During the visits that I carried out, I was also struck not only by the numbers of the injured but also of the nature of the injuries. The demonstrators had been systematically shot either in the lower limbs, femurs, knees and ankles or in the abdomen, the back or in their heads, and the pattern of very small entry wounds and large exit wounds indicates ammunition used to cause severe damage to internal organs, muscle tissues and bones."

Since March 30th, Gaza City's main hospital has received a large number of injured Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry in Gaza has repeatedly warned that the healthcare system in the Strip was facing a serious shortage of medical equipment and medicine, the worst seen there in years.

DR. AYMAN AL-SAHABANI DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, AL-SHIFAA HOSPITAL "It is a very big challenge for medical teams and workers. Operation rooms are packed with injured people, and many of the injured people remain on the waiting list. More than 50% of vital medicines have run out .30% of medical supplies and 60% of intravenous therapy. We have appealed to the world for urgent medical support."

Mohamed Shalah was shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper during protests against the US embassy move to Jerusalem last week. He told CGTN that he has to buy some of his medication at his own expense.

MOHAMED SHALAH PATIENT "The hospital is suffering from an acute shortage of medicines including antibiotics and painkillers, and other kinds of medicines which we have to buy on our account. The doctors say that I suffer from a critical wound and I have to travel for treatment abroad so that I won't lose my leg. But I am so scared."

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed since the protests along the Gaza border began at the end of March, with scores killed on the most violent day of all, the day the US opened its new embassy in Jerusalem. But the number of injured is truly staggering. The Gaza health ministry says some 13-thousand Palestinians have required urgent medical care. Noor Harazeen, CGTN, Gaza.