DaysofPal – World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that more than 16,500 people in Gaza are in urgent need of medical care that is currently unavailable in the war-torn enclave.
In a post shared on the social media platform X on Thursday, Ghebreyesus said that the WHO had evacuated 19 critically ill patients and 93 companions from Gaza to Italy for medical treatment. He expressed gratitude to the Italian government “for its solidarity and support,” while urging more countries to receive patients from Gaza.
“We urge more countries to receive patients from Gaza, as over 16,500 people still need urgent medical care that is not available in the Strip,” Ghebreyesus wrote.
The WHO chief also called for all evacuation routes to be opened, including those from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, to facilitate the transfer of patients in need of life-saving treatment.
Ghebreyesus emphasized the urgent need to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza, warning that continued instability would further endanger the health and survival of thousands.
He announced that beginning next week, the WHO, UNICEF, and UNRWA will launch a new initiative to provide routine immunizations, nutrition screening, treatment, and growth monitoring for approximately 44,000 children in Gaza, most of whom have been deprived of life-saving healthcare for nearly two years.
“To support these efforts,” he added, “the WHO is working to rehabilitate 20 damaged or destroyed health facilities, expand service delivery points, and restore vital health infrastructure across the Strip.”
For more than two years, Gaza’s health system has been on the brink of collapse under the weight of relentless Israeli attacks, an ongoing blockade, and the destruction of hospitals and clinics.
According to Palestinian authorities, since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war, backed by the United States and several European countries, has resulted in over 239,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, including tens of thousands of women and children. More than 11,000 people remain missing, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and widespread famine has claimed additional lives, mostly children.
Entire neighborhoods and cities have been reduced to rubble, and essential infrastructure, including much of Gaza’s healthcare network, has been largely erased.
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