Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the cessation of hostilities, but said, “The crisis is not over yet and the needs are enormous.”
He highlighted the toll of the months of conflict: more than 170,000 people were injured – including 5,000 amputees and 3,600 people suffering from severe burns. At least 42,000 need long-term rehabilitation, and 4,000 women give birth every month “in unsafe conditions.”
Psychological wounds
He added, “The devastation was physical but also psychological.” “An estimated 1 million people need access to mental health care.”
Tedros described the system on the verge of collapse. “There are no fully functioning hospitals in Gaza, and only 14 out of 36 hospitals are operating at allHe pointed to the “severe shortage of medicines, basic equipment and health workers.”
Since the ceasefire came into force two weeks ago, WHO teams have intensified support, sending medical supplies to hospitals, deploying emergency medical teams, and facilitating evacuations.
“Yesterday, we supported the evacuation of 41 patients and 145 companions to several countriesTedros said, thanking more than 20 countries that received evacuees.
700 dead awaiting evacuation
But with 15,000 patients still needing treatment outside Gaza – including 4,000 children – he confirmed that “more than 700 people died while waiting for evacuation.”
He urged the reopening of the Rafah crossing and the restoration of medical referrals to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to enable urgent care and expand the delivery of aid.
“Although the flow of aid has increased, it is still only a small portion of what is needed,” Tedros said, noting that “a large amount of aid has accumulated in Al-Arish, Egypt” awaiting the reopening of the Rafah crossing at the southern end of the enclave.
the The UN’s 60-day ceasefire plan seeks $45 million to maintain basic health servicesStrengthening disease prevention and early warning systems, coordination between health partners and support for reconstruction.
He added that rebuilding the health system in Gaza would cost “at least $7 billion.” “WHO was in Gaza before the war started, we were there the whole time, and we will remain there to help the people of Gaza build a healthier, safer and more just future.”
Aid and access
In New York, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said that the United Nations and its partners are intensifying relief efforts. The UN team recently arrived in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City – which was inaccessible before the ceasefire – where more than 200 returnee families are living in “extremely poor” conditions.
Residents walk up to two kilometers to reach the nearest water point and urgently need food, clean water, hygiene kits and cash assistance for basic winter supplies.
Meanwhile, UN agencies continue to provide vital assistance. The World Food Program is distributing fortified snacks to school children, while more than 140 trucks loaded with food, hygiene kits and emergency shelter supplies entered Gaza earlier this week.
The children’s agency UNICEF delivered 20 truckloads of diapers, and the UN Office for Project Services Crisis Operations Center distributed nearly 160,000 liters of fuel for humanitarian operations.
“The ceasefire provides a lifeline, but Gaza’s health system – and its people – are still struggling to survive,” Tedros said.
