Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza receives limited aid amid chaos: WHO chief
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Ghebreyesus explains that the largest hopsital in Gaza, al-Shifa, is trying to operate again but the situation remains "unbelievably challenging and chaotic."
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Medics prepare premature babies for transport to Egypt after they were evacuated from al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to a hospital further south in Rafah, on Nov. 20, 2023. (AP)
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that a World Health Organization (WHO) team delivered medical aid to Gaza's largest hospital, al-Shifa Hospital.
Ghebreyesus took to X to break the news.
"A WHO-led team of UN experts reached al-Shifa today to deliver essential medical supplies and assess priority health needs," he posted, adding that al-Shifa is trying to operate again but the situation remains "unbelievably challenging and chaotic."
Al-Shifa hospital in northern #Gaza is trying to resume its operations to serve thousands of patients again, but the situation is still unbelievably challenging and chaotic, and the hospital is in need of resuscitation — high-risk @WHO mission finds.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 16, 2023
A WHO-led team of @UN… pic.twitter.com/aNqrVlE62G
"Gaza’s largest hospital is at the moment able to provide limited trauma stabilization and some dialysis support. Surgery is not yet possible; the hospital has no blood for transfusion, and hardly any staff to care for the constant flow of patients," Ghebreyesus said.
Read more: Russian Dep. FM, WHO Director discuss Gaza humanitarian disaster
Ghebreyesus affirmed that 8 hospitals out of 36 are partially functioning in Gaza. Just a few days ago, 13 out of the 36 hospitals were still operational, as per the latest update from the World Health Organization on the war in Gaza.
Blatant violation of the law
Ghebreyesus expressed apprehension, on December 12, regarding the extended inspections of health convoys in the Gaza Strip and the detainment of healthcare workers in the region.
According to Reuters, Ghebreyesus noted in a social media post that a WHO-led mission to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza faced delays at a checkpoint both on the way to north Gaza and upon returning.
We received greater detail on Saturday’s high-risk @WHO-led mission in #Gaza to Al-Ahli Hospital. We are deeply concerned about prolonged checks and detention of health workers that put lives of already fragile patients at risk.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 12, 2023
The mission was stopped twice at the Wadi Gaza… https://t.co/DG4uxYSNBw
He highlighted that some Palestine Red Crescent Society personnel were detained on both occasions. Ghebreyesus emphasized deep concern about the prolonged checks and detention of health workers, putting the lives of already vulnerable patients at risk.
Gazans, due to "Israel's" genocidal war, are lacking clean water, food, medicinal aid, living in overcrowded shelters, and forced to endure the cold weather of December as illnesses and diseases are tearing through the survivors.
As Gaza remains deprived of aid and with the constant brutal bombardment that destroys hospitals and aid coming into the Strip, those who have fallen ill find themselves unable to receive treatment as doctors scurry the limited resources they still have to Palestinians whom Israeli strikes have injured.
