The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning about the healthcare crisis in Gaza, stating that more than 60,000 Palestinians have been injured during the ongoing conflict and are in desperate need of medical care, food, and water. The WHO described the healthcare system in Gaza as being on the verge of collapse due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation and restrictions on access for aid and healthcare workers.
Sean Casey, the WHO’s emergency medical team coordinator, called for an immediate ceasefire to address the “level of desperation” in Gaza. He emphasized that without an end to the hostilities, humanitarian groups can only address the needs of the injured on a day-by-day basis. Casey highlighted the urgent need for improved access to medical supplies and simplified coordination for aid delivery.
During his visit to Gaza, Casey witnessed the dire situation firsthand. He visited Al-Shifa hospital and several other hospitals that are barely functional out of the 36 that used to provide care in Gaza. Casey described a collapsing healthcare system with hospitals closing, health workers fleeing, and a lack of access to essential supplies and fuel to keep the facilities running.
The WHO’s efforts to deliver medicines to open hospitals and deploy additional medical personnel have been severely hampered by access restrictions and limitations on movement. Casey revealed that his team was unable to deliver any food or medical supplies to Al-Shifa hospital for 12 days. The hospital, which has over 700 beds, has been overwhelmed with displaced persons seeking shelter and trauma care.
The situation is equally dire in other hospitals across Gaza. Al-Ahli hospital in northern Gaza lacks fuel, power, water, and adequate medical supplies. Patients are lying on church pews, waiting for care that may never come. At Al-Nasr medical complex in Khan Younes, only 30 percent of staff remain, and patients are crammed into corridors and lying on floors.
The WHO is working tirelessly to set up additional field hospitals and provide more healthcare workers to replace those who have fled. The organization aims to meet the increased burden of care caused by the conflict and the appalling living conditions faced by displaced people. Many of these individuals have lost everything and are forced to sleep in tents without access to basic necessities like food, clean water, and proper shelter.
The crisis in Gaza extends beyond healthcare. Thousands of people are fleeing to southern Gaza with their belongings, seeking refuge in makeshift shelters. The area lacks the necessary infrastructure to accommodate this influx of internally displaced persons, leaving them vulnerable to infectious diseases and other health risks.
The WHO’s plea for a ceasefire and improved access to medical supplies and aid is crucial to saving lives in Gaza. Without immediate action, the healthcare system will continue to crumble, leaving thousands of injured Palestinians without the care they desperately need. The international community must come together to address this humanitarian crisis and ensure that the people of Gaza receive the medical care, food, and water they need to survive.