Gaza: The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, citing Israeli attacks on shelters and food distribution points that have resulted in numerous casualties.
According to Emirates News Agency, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, reported during a video briefing from Gaza to journalists in Geneva that approximately 90 Palestinians are being killed daily, with more than 200 injured. He called for an immediate end to the indiscriminate violence in Gaza.
Peeperkorn highlighted the critical condition of the healthcare system in Gaza, which is experiencing a severe shortage of medical supplies and fuel. No fuel deliveries have been made to the Strip in over 120 days, leaving available reserves insufficient to even partially operate the 17 hospitals for an extended period. Some of these reserves are located in hard-to-access areas, complicating the situation further.
Al Shifa Hospital is particularly affected, operating at minimal capacity due to the fuel shortage, which has led to a reduction in its medical services. Peeperkorn warned of the imminent risk faced by 13 patients in the intensive care unit who depend on ventilators.
Nasser Medical Complex is similarly overwhelmed with patients arriving from non-UN food distribution points. Doctors are faced with the difficult decision of prioritizing between treating trauma injuries and caring for patients with chronic illnesses, which may result in preventable deaths.
Peeperkorn shared distressing accounts from WHO teams, including a case of a 13-year-old child shot in the head, and two young men aged 16 and 21 who sustained spinal injuries and are now fully paralyzed.
He emphasized that more than 10,000 people in Gaza require medical evacuation. The organization has recently evacuated 19 children and 39 companions to Jordan, and four patients along with seven companions to Turkey. Since March 18th, only seven medical evacuation operations have been conducted, covering 317 patients and 504 companions. The total number of evacuees since October 2023 has reached 7,425 people, including 5,127 children.