WHO Chief overwhelmed: Tearful account of hellish conditions in Gaza
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Speaking at the WHO Executive Board meeting in Geneva, during a discussion on the health emergency in Gaza, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has described the conditions in Gaza as "hellish."
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A Palestinian father holds the body of one of his children killed in Israeli bombardment, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on November 19, 2023. (AFP)
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) became emotional, shedding tears as he called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip amid continuous Israeli ground and aerial attacks on Palestinians in the war-torn region.
Speaking at the WHO Executive Board meeting in Geneva on Thursday, during a discussion on the health emergency in Gaza, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the conditions in Gaza as "hellish."
“I’m a true believer because of my own experience that war doesn’t bring a solution, except more war, more hatred, more agony, more destruction. So let’s choose peace and resolve this issue politically,” Tedros said.
WHO chief breaks down describing 'hellish' Gaza conditions
— Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) January 26, 2024
“I’m struggling to speak because... Because the situation is beyond words" - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
This comes 4 days after the NYTimes proudly posted the depraved headline "The Decline of Deaths in Gaza" pic.twitter.com/D2DWjvKnF9
“I think all of you have said the two-state solution and so on, and hope this war will end and move into a true solution,” he tearfully added.
Situation in Gaza 'beyond words'
The head of the WHO expressed difficulty in speaking, taking a moment to compose himself, and stated that it was challenging to find words to describe the situation in Gaza because it was "beyond words."
“Seventy percent of the dead (in Gaza) are children and women. That alone is enough for a ceasefire,” Tedros said.
#Gaza is grappling with a health emergency exacerbated by cold weather, overcrowded shelters, scarce food, and contaminated water which has resulted in a surge of infectious diseases. The dire situation has overwhelmed hospitals, leaving the sick with limited treatment options.… pic.twitter.com/JY8O5Unwuo
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 14, 2023
During the same speech, the WHO leader cautioned that additional individuals in Gaza would succumb to hunger and illness.
“If you add all that, I think it’s not easy to understand how hellish the situation is,” he said.
Martyrs' toll exceeds 26,000
These remarks came as the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reports on Friday that the Israeli genocidal war against the Strip has claimed the lives of 26,083 Palestinians with the number of injuries reaching a staggering 64,487 since October 7.
The distressing number of martyrs has significantly increased over the last 24 hours, as the Israeli occupation committed 19 massacres against Palestinians, resulting in the martyrdom of 183 individuals and injuring 377 others.
They are not just numbers, share their stories.#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/DIWz5CBPDf
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 24, 2024
The situation is compounded by the fact that thousands of victims are still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings or on the streets, as it becomes exceedingly difficult for ambulances and civil defense teams to access and provide assistance to those in dire need, given that bombardment remains non-stop and snipers target everything that moves in their vicinity.
