World Health Organization (WHO) officials expressed grave concerns on Tuesday regarding the potential collapse of hospital services in southern and central Gaza, as hundreds of medical staff and patients have fled for their lives amidst intensifying conflict.
After months of Israeli bombardments as part of the military campaign against Hamas in response to the Oct. 7 attacks, only about a third of Gaza’s hospitals are operating, and some are functioning only partially. The recent escalation of fighting in central and southern areas has placed additional strain on the few remaining open hospitals.
Speaking during a Geneva press briefing via video link, Sean Casey, WHO emergency medical teams coordinator in Gaza, highlighted the alarming situation around Al Aqsa Hospital and an intensification of hostilities near European Gaza Hospital and Nasser Hospital. Casey stressed the crucial need to protect these health facilities, emphasizing that they represent the last line of secondary and tertiary health care in Gaza.
During a recent visit to Al Aqsa in central Gaza, Casey discovered that 70% of the staff had abandoned their posts. Subsequently, hundreds of patients, deemed well enough to flee, followed suit. The situation at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis was equally dire, with many staff joining the multitude of Gazans seeking shelter in the strip’s southernmost tip. This mass exodus has left just one doctor to care for more than 100 burn victims.
The ongoing fighting has created a hazardous environment for both health workers and patients, leading to a rapid collapse of the health system. Patients are risking their lives to reach hospitals in Khan Younis due to the ongoing hostilities. The fear of violence has hindered health workers from attending their workplaces, exacerbating the crisis.
Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, addressed the difficulties in delivering medical aid within Gaza. He noted a shrinking humanitarian space due to the southward movement of hostilities and increased lack of access.
As the situation in Gaza worsens, WHO continues to sound the alarm, emphasizing the urgent need for international intervention to protect health facilities, ensure the safety of medical personnel, and address the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region.
