Israeli Blockade Cripples Gaza Healthcare: WHO Issues Stark Warning

(MENAFN) The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning about the deteriorating health situation in Gaza, stating that a two-monthlong blockade preventing aid and medical supplies from entering the enclave has left residents in dire need.  

WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris stated that the ongoing Israeli blockade has halted crucial humanitarian deliveries, pushing the population into a state of desperation. "The situation in Gaza is that people lack absolutely everything. They lack food, they lack clean water, they lack housing, and they also lack access to medical care," Harris emphasized.  

She further noted that fear pervades the population, deterring them from seeking medical attention at hospitals due to numerous Israeli attacks on healthcare facilities during its 18-month offensive – actions that could potentially constitute war crimes as medical facilities are meant to be protected.  

According to Harris, hospitals are facing critical shortages of essential medical supplies needed by doctors and nurses to treat the injured. "So they lack blood, they lack the intravenous units for putting any fluids in, they lack the swabs for cleaning wounds, they lack the antibiotics for protecting people from infection," she detailed.  

'Many more people will die of their wounds'

Harris stressed the severe limitations of resources and the high susceptibility of patients' injuries to infection. “Remember that they are under bombardment every day, so they have what we call traumatic injuries, where you have broken bones, open wounds, very dirty wounds because people are under rubble and under dirt."

She elaborated on the compounding health risks faced by the population. "There's a great risk of many, many different wound infections. And for the people who are living in very difficult conditions, they're suffering from malnutrition, they're not getting enough food, they are very crowded together, so infectious diseases spread very easily among them,” Harris explained. "They're suffering from diarrhea, from lack of clean water, so all these things are increasing the health risks in Gaza."  

Harris reported that hospitals are overwhelmed and struggling to manage the influx of patients. While 21 hospitals are partially operational, along with four field hospitals, none possess sufficient bed capacity to accommodate the growing number of individuals requiring medical care.  

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