Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed its inability to reach the northern part of the Gaza Strip for nearly two weeks due to the ongoing war. The WHO had planned a mission to Al-Awda Hospital and four other locations in Northern Gaza, but this mission had to be cancelled for the fourth time because security guarantees could not be ensured.
In a tweet, the WHO stated: “The WHO cancelled a planned mission to Al-Awda Hospital and the central drug store in northern Gaza for the fourth time since December 26 because we did not receive deconfliction and safety guarantees.” The post further highlighted that it had been 12 days since they were last able to reach northern Gaza.
The WHO attributed the challenges they face to heavy bombardment, restricted movement, and disrupted communications, making it nearly impossible to deliver essential medical supplies to the isolated coastal strip, particularly in the northern region.
Most hospitals are severely short-staffed, WHO said, as health workers have left due to evacuation orders or insecurity.
Meanwhile, patients’ access to health facilities is impeded by perilous conditions.
“Amputees need physiotherapy and rehabilitation, proper nursing care, along with nutritious food and mental health support - all currently unavailable,” the post added.
WHO also urged for sustained humanitarian access across Gaza and active protection of civilians and healthcare.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed the statement, posting on X that he is “shocked by the scale of health needs and devastation in Northern Gaza. Urgent, safe and unhindered access to the region is needed to deliver humanitarian aid. Further delays will result in more casualties and increased suffering for a significant number of people.”
The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, and the provision of adequate healthcare is becoming increasingly vital to alleviate the growing suffering of the local population.
In another development, WHO also issued a warning concerning the dire situation at the only functioning hospital in Deir Al Balah governorate, as mentioned by the UN News website.
The hospital had to cease critical activities and evacuate its staff due to increasing Israeli military activity in the area. Only five doctors remain at Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of Gaza, where a WHO team delivered medical supplies to support 4,500 dialysis patients for three months and 500 patients requiring trauma care.
In a separate post on X, Ghebreyesus shared a video recorded by WHO Health Emergency Officer Sean Casey on his X social media account, depicting chaotic scenes at Al-Aqsa Hospital. Medics were forced to treat patients on the bloody floor, with many individuals being brought in for urgent treatment.
Ghebreyesus reported “immense needs” at the hospital, particularly for health workers, medical supplies, and beds. The primary concern was the safety of the hospital and its staff, patients, and families from strikes and hostilities.
No hospitals in the northern Gaza region are fully functioning, and another WHO mission had to be cancelled due to security concerns, while in other places in Gaza only a “mere handful” of health facilities still operate.
The number of casualties has sharply increased in recent days, Ghebreyesus’ post added, with over 120 trauma cases and dozens of deaths reported daily due to shelling, gunshot wounds, collapsed buildings, and other war-related trauma.
“Three months into this conflict, it is inconceivable that this most essential need - the protection of healthcare - is not assured,” the WHO Director wrote.
UNICEF also expressed grave concerns about the escalating violence’s impact on children in Gaza, according to UN News.
They reported approximately 3,200 new cases of diarrhoea per day among children under five, a significant increase from the previous average of 2,000 cases per month. Additionally, nine out of ten children under two years old are now in “severe food poverty”, receiving only grains or milk to eat.
UNICEF’s Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasised the urgent need to address the threat of famine and severe malnutrition among children in Gaza.
“As the threat of famine intensifies, hundreds of thousands more young children could soon be severely malnourished, with some at risk of death. We cannot allow that to happen,” she said, as quoted by UN News.
