DaysofPal – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have warned of a worsening health catastrophe in Gaza, as thousands of wounded civilians face deteriorating conditions amid the ongoing blockade and closure of border crossings.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said the death toll from Israel’s ongoing genocide has risen to 69,169, with hundreds more still buried under the rubble.
In a statement on Saturday, the WHO said around 16,500 patients in Gaza are still waiting to be evacuated for treatment abroad. The agency added that its medical supplies are ready at the border but remain blocked due to the continued closure of crossings.
The WHO urgently called for the reopening of the Rafah crossing and all other border points, stressing that Rafah is a “lifeline” for medical evacuations and the primary entry for humanitarian and health supplies into the besieged enclave. The organization also urged countries to facilitate the entry of aid and accept more patients for treatment abroad.
Patients with chronic illnesses and cancer in Gaza, meanwhile, are fighting a more desperate battle to survive due to acute shortages of necessary medications.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, 12,500 cancer patients are at risk of death, with the Ministry of Health reporting that 64 percent of cancer drugs have run out, and diagnostic and follow-up equipment is unavailable.
The media office described the condition of 350,000 chronically ill patients as “critical,” blaming Israel’s blockade for preventing the entry of medical supplies. It added that 22,000 patients require treatment outside Gaza but remain trapped due to border closures.
In the past 72 hours, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that 10 bodies and six wounded people were brought to hospitals, including one newly killed individual and nine victims recovered from beneath the rubble.
Since the start of the ceasefire, 241 people have been killed and 614 wounded, while 522 bodies have been recovered from destroyed buildings. These discoveries bring the cumulative death toll since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza to 69,169.
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