The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed serious concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and has appealed for the immediate provision of medicines and essential medical supplies.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that allowing medical supplies to enter without delay is crucial for rebuilding health services in Gaza on a large scale.
The Gaza Strip has long been facing a severe crisis due to the Israeli blockade, which has been tightened further in recent years. As a result, healthcare services there have nearly collapsed, making it extremely difficult for a large portion of the population to access treatment.
According to the WHO chief, the organization has supported the establishment of a new family health center in northern Gaza, where medical facilities were already extremely limited. This center is helping deliver healthcare services directly to local people, but the needs across the entire region remain very high.
He emphasized that it is crucial to remove administrative barriers on medicines and lift restrictions on access to Gaza so that the healthcare system there can be strengthened again.
According to the report, due to the blockade in place since 2007 and the recent conflict, nearly 1.5 million out of Gaza’s population of 2.4 million have been displaced. Since the war that began on October 7, 2023, more than 72,000 people have been killed and over 172,000 have been injured.
Although a ceasefire has been announced, the situation in Gaza has not returned to normal. Continuous bombardment and the strict blockade have led to a severe shortage of food, medicines, and other essential resources. As a result, millions of people are forced to live in extremely difficult and unsafe conditions.