WHO mission in Gaza reports 'rising desperation due to acute hunger'
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Describing the observations during the December 23 mission, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlights in a post on X the growing fear of starvation.
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An injured Palestinian mother, covered in dust and blood, hugs her injured child at the hospital following the Israeli bombardment of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 15, 2023. (AFP)
The World Health Organization (WHO) disclosed over the weekend that it conducted missions to poorly functioning hospitals in northern Gaza.
The UN health agency, along with its partners, delivered aid, including fuel, to Al-Shifa hospital, which was once Gaza's largest and most advanced medical facility, according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Describing the observations during the December 23 mission, Tedros highlighted in a post on X the growing fear of starvation.
Rising desperation due to acute hunger witnessed during joint mission by @WHO, @UNOCHA, @UNICEF, @WCKitchen to hospitals in north #Gaza; partners demand immediate scale-up of food and water to ensure population health and stability.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 24, 2023
On 23 December, WHO and partners visited, and… pic.twitter.com/uNQep7Ig6T
“Partners demand immediate scale-up of food and water to ensure population health and stability,” he said.
Ghebreyesus added in his post that devastation in Gaza continues to escalate, with hospitals like Al-Shifa facing critical challenges in the aftermath of hostilities.
The destruction of the hospital's oxygen plant adds to the difficulties, leaving the facility struggling to meet the growing demand for medical services. Al-Shifa, currently sheltering 50,000 displaced individuals, reflects the dire situation across Gaza, characterized by severe shortages of essential resources such as food, medicines, power, and water, he added.
WHO calls for immediate ceasefire after a joint mission
During a joint mission, the need for sustained humanitarian access is emphasized in order to ensure the safe delivery of vital supplies to over 2 million people. However, such access has not been consistently established, the WHO chief acknowledged.
He also detailed that the mission also visited the NGO-run Patient Friends Hospital and Al-Helou Hospital, both grappling with operational challenges, including shortages of specialized medical staff, medicines, and essential resources. The larger Al-Sahaba Maternity Hospital, despite handling a significant number of deliveries daily, faces critical shortages in medical personnel and essential supplies, as per Ghebreyesus.
He concluded his post by affirming that the World Health Organization (WHO) remains committed to supporting the capacities of health facilities like Al-Shifa, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The Israeli war on hospitals ongoing
In the same context, doctors at the Abu Yousef Al Najjar Hospital in Rafah, located near the Egyptian border, have voiced concerns over challenging working conditions due to fuel shortages and inadequate medical supplies, as reported by Reuters.
The hospital, grappling with limited resources, is facing a significant strain on its dialysis facilities. With only 17 beds available for dialysis, the hospital is now accommodating 350 patients, well beyond its normal capacity of 120 patients. Dr. Ihab Masher, the head of the kidney dialysis department, lamented the loss of patients daily and expressed hope for an improvement in the situation.
The Palestinian Red Crescent has highlighted the serious impact of Israeli bombardment on main roads across Gaza, severely impeding the movement of ambulances and other emergency vehicles. The ongoing challenges in healthcare facilities underscore the urgent need for sustained humanitarian access and a resolution to the aggression to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.
Read next: WHO: Al-Shifa Hospital ER a 'bloodbath'
