Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the cessation of hostilities but declared that “the crisis is far from over and the needs are immense”.
He highlighted the toll of months of conflict: more than 170,000 people injured, including 5,000 amputees and 3,600 people seriously burned. At least 42,000 require long-term rehabilitation and 4,000 women give birth “in unsafe conditions” every month.
Psychological injuries
“The destruction was physical but also psychological,” he said. “An estimated one million people need access to mental health care. »
Tedros described a system on the brink of collapse. “There are no fully functioning hospitals in Gaza, and only 14 out of 36 are functioninghe said, citing “critical shortages of essential medicines, equipment and health workers.”
Since the ceasefire took effect two weeks ago, WHO teams have stepped up their support, sending medical equipment to hospitals, deploying emergency medical teams and facilitating evacuations.
“Yesterday, we supported the evacuation of 41 patients and 145 accompanying people to several countries“said Tedros, thanking more than 20 countries that took in evacuees.
700 dead awaiting evacuation
But with 15,000 patients still in need of care outside Gaza – including 4,000 children – he stressed that “more than 700 people have died while awaiting evacuation.”
He urged the reopening of the Rafah crossing and the reestablishment of medical referrals to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to enable emergency care and expand aid delivery.
“Even though the flow of aid has increased, it is still only a fraction of what is needed,” Tedros said, pointing out that “a significant amount of aid has accumulated in Al-Arish in Egypt” pending the reopening of Rafah, at the southern tip of the enclave.
THE UN 60-day ceasefire plan calls for $45 million to maintain essential health servicesstrengthen disease prevention and early warning systems, coordinate health partners and support reconstruction.
However, rebuilding Gaza’s health system will cost “at least $7 billion”, he said. “WHO was in Gaza before the war began, we remained there throughout and we will remain there to help the people of Gaza build a healthier, safer and fairer future. »
Help and access
In New York, U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the U.N. and its partners were stepping up relief efforts. A UN team recently reached the Az Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City – inaccessible before the ceasefire – where more than 200 returning families are living in “extremely poor” conditions.
Residents walk up to two kilometers to reach the nearest water point and are in urgent need of food, clean water, hygiene items and financial assistance for winter essentials.
Meanwhile, UN agencies continue to provide lifesaving assistance. The World Food Program (WFP) is distributing fortified snacks to schoolchildren, while more than 140 trucks carrying food, hygiene kits and emergency shelter items entered Gaza earlier this week.
Children’s agency UNICEF delivered 20 truckloads of baby diapers, and crisis operations center UNOPS distributed nearly 160,000 liters of fuel for humanitarian operations.
“The ceasefire provides a lifeline,” Tedros said, “but Gaza’s health system – and its people – are still fighting for survival. »
