Geneva, December 10, 2023: The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a devastating impact on health conditions in the Gaza Strip, warned the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Sunday. The UN health agency convened a special session of the WHO executive board to address the worsening health crisis in the Palestinian territories.
Describing the situation as catastrophic, Tedros stated in his opening remarks, “As more and more people move to a smaller and smaller area, overcrowding, combined with the lack of adequate food, water, shelter, and sanitation, are creating the ideal conditions for disease to spread.”
He expressed concern about the signs of epidemic diseases emerging, with the risk expected to escalate as conditions deteriorate and winter approaches. The Gaza Strip’s health system is described as being on the verge of collapse, with only 14 out of 36 hospitals functioning, and of those, only two are in the northern part of the territory.
Out of the original 3,500 hospital beds, only 1,400 remain available. The major hospitals in southern Gaza are operating at three times their bed capacity, running out of supplies, and providing shelter to thousands of displaced people.
Since October 7, the WHO has documented over 449 attacks on healthcare in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, along with 60 attacks on healthcare in Israel. Tedros highlighted the dire conditions faced by health workers, stating, “The work of the health workers is impossible, and they are directly in the firing line.”
He emphasized the crucial link between health and peace, declaring, “There is no health without peace, and no peace without health.” The WHO is actively supporting health workers on the ground in Gaza, acknowledging their tireless efforts in unimaginable conditions. The conflict has taken a toll on both the healthcare system and the overall well-being of the population, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.
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