DaysofPal – The World Health Organization warned Friday that medicine stocks in the Gaza Strip have fallen to extremely low levels due to reduced deliveries of medical supplies and continuing restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory.
Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean at the WHO, said several essential medical items, including gauze and needles, have already run out. She stressed that Gaza’s health system remains in a fragile state and faces mounting pressure.
Balkhy noted that supplies of essential medicines, trauma treatment materials, and surgical consumables have dropped to critically low levels. Hospitals also face severe fuel shortages, which reduce their ability to maintain operations and place patients’ lives at risk.
She warned that the lack of regular humanitarian deliveries, along with the absence of safe transport for medical supplies and the suspension of medical evacuation procedures, continues to delay access to necessary healthcare for thousands of patients.
The WHO managed to deliver limited quantities of medical supplies and fuel to Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday. Several trucks carrying additional aid remain stranded in the Egyptian city of El Arish, preventing the delivery of urgently needed materials.
Balkhy said only about 200 trucks currently enter Gaza each day. Humanitarian agencies estimate that around 600 trucks are required daily to meet the population’s basic needs.
Half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain closed even after the ceasefire, according to the WHO. Facilities that continue to operate struggle to maintain vital services, including surgery, dialysis treatments, and intensive care.
The continued closure of the Rafah Border Crossing has also halted medical evacuation efforts. The crossing represents the main exit point for residents seeking treatment outside the territory.
WHO data indicate that roughly 18,000 people, including injured children and patients suffering from chronic diseases, are currently waiting for evacuation to receive medical care abroad.
The warnings come at a time when Gaza’s healthcare sector faces unprecedented pressure following the war that began in October 2023. The genocide left extensive damage to medical infrastructure and created severe shortages of medicines, equipment, and other essential supplies.
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