KUALA LUMPUR – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Gazans are currently in peril due to the threat of a severe famine crisis throughout the war-torn Palestinian territories.
Furthermore, the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip has been severely impacted by the war, with only 15 of the 36 hospitals currently operational.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the international community to take immediate steps to reduce the grave danger facing Gazans.
He expressed hope that the crisis in Palestine would not affect the ability of humanitarian workers to attend to individuals who are severely injured, starving and at high risk of contracting diseases.
Sharing the experiences of WHO staff presently on the field in Gaza, he said that many hungry residents had stopped WHO vehicles to ask for food.
“The WHO’s ability to supply medical aid and fuel to hospitals is increasingly hampered by people who are hungry and are desperate as we travel, including when we reach the hospital,” he said in a statement today.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Israel-Palestine war has killed at least 21,110 people, the majority of whom are women and children.
Elaborating on the current situation of WHO staff in Gaza, Tedros said their safety depends on food supplies and the status of operations in the region.
“The safety of our staff and the continuity of operations depend on more food arriving across Gaza immediately,” he said.
Last week, the United Nations Security Council’s resolution stipulated the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in a safe and unhindered manner.
However, there was no provision in the resolution to call for an immediate end to the war in the region.
Tedros added that a resolution on a ceasefire can provide hope for improving the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza. – December 28, 2023