WHO Warns of Gaza’s Health System Collapse, Urges Immediate Medical Aid Access
The World Health Organization has warned of the imminent collapse of the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip and called for the immediate authorization of essential medicines and medical equipment into the area. The agency emphasized that without urgent access to health assistance, large-scale restoration of medical services will not be possible.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a message on X, urged the international community to allow immediate entry of vital health supplies into Gaza. He stated that medical needs across the region are extensive and responding to them requires urgent and coordinated actions.
According to him, the WHO has supported the establishment of a new family health center in northern Gaza, an area with severely limited access to healthcare services where many residents lack medical facilities. However, he stressed that a single health center alone cannot address the ongoing crisis.
This appeal from the organization comes amid a significantly deteriorated humanitarian situation in Gaza. The area has been under blockade since 2007, and following recent conflicts, a large portion of the infrastructure, including hospitals and residential buildings, has been destroyed. Reports indicate that approximately 1.5 million of Gaza’s nearly 2.4 million inhabitants have been left homeless due to the destruction of their homes.
The WHO Director-General also called for the removal of bureaucratic obstacles and the easing of restrictions that prevent the entry of medicines and equipment into Gaza. He emphasized that the continuation of these restrictions directly exacerbates the humanitarian crisis and that the international community must take practical and immediate action to ensure sustainable access to healthcare services.
