WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that Al Ahli Hospital and the Friendly Patient Hospital in northern Gaza were recent facilities that were unable to function because of fighting nearby.
He said Al Ahli’s patients had been transferred to an Indonesian hospital, which is now operating at three times its capacity.
Thousands of people are waiting to be evacuated
“More than 10,000 patients still require medical evacuation. “There is an urgent need for multiple evacuation corridors to the West Bank, Egypt and Jordan for the treatment that cannot be provided in Gaza,” he said.
Tedros noted that virtually the entire population of Gaza faces severe food insecurity, with one in four people at risk of hunger.
Meanwhile, supplies entering the area have been scarce, with just five WHO trucks allowed in last week.
Relief supplies stuck at the border
Tedros said there were more than 34 trucks waiting at the El Arish border crossing with Egypt with 850 pallets of goods waiting to be picked up, and another 40 trucks waiting in Ismailia, Egypt.
He called for the immediate lifting of restrictions on supplies to Gaza, saying “the people of Gaza who have nothing to do with this conflict should not have to pay the price”.
union
People inspect damage after a bombing hit a school in central Gaza.
‘A perfect breeding ground for disease’
Dr. Hanan Balki, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, also described the situation in Gaza as “deeply worrying from a humanitarian and humanitarian perspective” as he briefed reporters on an 11-day visit to the occupied Palestinian territory.
She said fuel shortages were hampering all medical and humanitarian efforts, while destroyed streets were filled with sewage and garbage and the smell of fermented waste hung in the air.
“These conditions provide the perfect breeding ground for disease to spread, leading to an increase in cases of acute watery diarrhea and acute respiratory infections,” she said.
breakdown of law and order
“The ongoing violence and breakdown of law and order are devastating an already paralyzed city. “And it’s creating an extremely dangerous environment not just for aid workers but for everyone in Gaza,” she added.
The breakdown of law and order has made gender-based violence virtually impossible to manage, exposing displaced Palestinians to additional life-threatening risks.
Although the WHO has scaled up its medical supply chain to Gaza to respond to rising hostilities and soaring needs, much of that aid is still “stuck on the wrong side of the border,” she quoted Tedros as saying.
“And even if supplies do come in, a breakdown in law and order will make it difficult for our teams to get supplies to hospitals that urgently need them,” she added.
Open the borders
Dr. Balki also spoke about his visit to the IMC field hospital in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, which has been relocated twice in the past months and has tripled its capacity.
She met a severely malnourished seven-year-old girl who was evacuated from the north three months ago, one of 10,000 patients who were evacuated from Gaza and are awaiting further evacuation to receive specialized treatment for conditions such as trauma and chronic diseases.
During his visit to the region, senior WHO officials met with Muhanad Hadi, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Tor Wenesland, the UN Special Envoy for the Middle East, who all agreed on the need to address the suffering in Gaza.
“We urge Member States to swiftly implement their global diplomatic mission and hasten an immediate ceasefire.She said this from Cairo, Egypt.
“All borders, including the Rafah border, must be opened to allow the inflow of fuel, medical supplies and other essential humanitarian assistance, and to allow people in need of medical assistance to leave the country.”
Continued attacks on West Bank
Dr. Balki also traveled to the West Bank and witnessed the rapidly deteriorating health situation there.
She visited the Jenin General Hospital and the hospital run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, and learned about the deaths and injuries of medical staff in repeated attacks. She also saw widespread damage to infrastructure and medical equipment.
She said that with roads damaged and access limited, WHO and partners including the Palestine Red Crescent have launched a mobile medical service to reach people at the scene of the accident.
UN agencies also supported mass casualty management training and response planning at Jenin General Hospital and six other hospitals in the West Bank.
“Our goal is smooth and effective trauma treatment. “Building on the lessons from Gaza, at every level,” she said.
Supporting local health systems
Dr Balki also stressed the need to strengthen already fragile health systems in neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
She expressed extreme concern about the escalating violence along the Lebanese-Israeli border, which has led to increased deaths and injuries among civilians and medical personnel, damage to health infrastructure, and displacement.
“In our region, entire generations have grown up knowing nothing but conflict and deprivation.“Addressing the underlying political causes of this emergency is not only a humanitarian necessity, but also a strategic investment in regional stability and security,” she said.
Reduced food rations
The United Nations and aid partners continue to respond as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues.
Speaking in New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the World Food Programme (WFP) has provided food to about 250,000 people so far this month and more than 1 million people in June.
“However, food stocks in central and southern Gaza were running low, forcing WFP to reduce rations last month, with some areas receiving only wheat flour,” he said.
Supply is in short supply
WFP has also worked with dozens of community kitchens since early July to provide around 1.8 million hot meals to people living in central and southern Gaza and Gaza City.
“But the agency warned that if it doesn’t receive additional stock, supplies needed for this assistance could run out within days,” Dujarric said.
Meanwhile, following Israel’s recent order to evacuate the Gaza Strip, humanitarian workers are providing critical assistance to refugees fleeing from northern to southern Gaza.
This includes water, warm food, food parcels, and health and nutritional support.
