By Ebi Kesiena
Chief of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has expressed deep concern over the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict on Gaza’s health system, describing the situation as catastrophic.
According to Dr. Ghebreyesus, Gaza’s health system is on its knees and collapsing.
Addressing an audience in Geneva, Dr. Ghebreyesus attributed the dire conditions to Israeli actions, alleging that the confinement of Palestinians to increasingly smaller areas is fostering “ideal conditions for disease to spread.”
He highlighted alarming statistics, revealing that there is only one shower for every 750 people and one toilet for every 150 individuals. Shockingly, only 14 out of the original 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip remain partially functional, with just two in the north and 12 in the south.
The WHO Chief underscored the unbearable challenges faced by health workers, stating that their conditions, already difficult in 2018, have now become “impossible,” as they find themselves directly in the firing line.
According to Dr. Ghebreyesus, the WHO has documented 449 attacks on healthcare in Gaza and the West Bank since the conflict began on October 7, with an additional 60 incidents reported in Israel.
In a related development, Carl Skau, Deputy Director of the UN World Food Programme has stated that half of Gaza’s population is facing starvation. Skau attributed this crisis to the severe limitations on the entry of essential supplies into the Strip, making it nearly impossible for nine out of 10 people to eat every day.
Israel’s perspective on the matter was reflected in a statement by Israel Defence Forces spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht. He asserted that air strikes on Gaza were necessary to eliminate Hamas and secure the return of Israeli hostages.
While acknowledging the pain inflicted on civilians, Lt Hecht maintained that Israel is striving to maximize aid delivery to the Gaza Strip.
The international community continues to monitor the situation closely as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens amid the ongoing conflict.
