In a joint appeal with the broader United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called upon the Israeli government to immediately revoke orders mandating the evacuation of over one million residents living north of Wadi Gaza. The potential mass evacuation, amidst ongoing airstrikes and closed borders, has raised serious concerns for the safety and well-being of civilians, particularly patients, health workers, and other vulnerable individuals who may be left behind or caught in the chaos.
As the situation in the region deteriorates, the perilous plight of the population, a significant portion of which is under 18 years of age, has become increasingly dire. The scarcity of essential provisions such as safe food, clean water, health services, and suitable shelter places children, adults, and the elderly at heightened risk of disease and deprivation.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has alerted WHO to the impossibility of evacuating critically ill patients from hospitals in Gaza without jeopardizing their lives. Vulnerable patients, including those with critical injuries or dependent on life support, are exposed to immediate risks if transported during hostilities.
In the North of Gaza, the two Ministry of Health hospitals still operational have far exceeded their combined 760-bed capacity, leading to severe overcrowding. Among the thousands of patients seeking medical care, hundreds are severely wounded and over a hundred require critical care. The compressed timeline, complex transport logistics, damaged roadways, and the absence of supportive care during transportation only exacerbate the challenges of relocating these patients.
Adding to the crisis, the four Ministry of Health hospitals in the south of Gaza are already operating at or beyond their capacity. These hospitals lack the necessary critical care capacity and supplies to accommodate additional patients.
Furthermore, the shortage of medical supplies in the region is already jeopardizing patient care and impeding the work of health workers. Most of the supplies that WHO had pre-positioned in Gaza have been depleted.
On October 9, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus engaged in discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, resulting in an agreement to facilitate the delivery of health and humanitarian supplies from WHO to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. WHO has prepared essential medical supplies at its logistics hub in Dubai and stands ready to transport them to Areesh, Egypt, which is a mere 20-minute journey from Rafah, as soon as landing permits are secured. These supplies are sufficient to provide medical care for more than 300,000 patients with a range of injuries and illnesses.
In response, WHO is urgently requesting the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to ensure the safe delivery of these supplies to healthcare facilities in Gaza, including via Rafah. Additionally, WHO reiterates its plea for humanitarian access to secure life-saving supplies, the delivery of fuel, water, and food, protection under international humanitarian law for civilians, health workers, and healthcare infrastructure, and ultimately, a cessation of hostilities and violence in the region.
The escalating crisis in Gaza necessitates immediate action and international cooperation to mitigate the human suffering and avert a catastrophic humanitarian catastrophe.
