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WHO issues alert as hospital in Central Gaza forced to cease activities
Only five doctors reportedly remain at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza
Wounded people wait to be treated / WHO
As the Israel Palestine conflict continues to deepen, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning regarding cessation of life-saving activities at the only operational hospital in Deir al Balah governorate.
Central Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Hospital is currently being managed by only five doctors who are struggling to handle the overwhelming influx of patients.
Describing the situation as “inconceivable”, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that over 600 patients and the majority of health workers were forced to evacuate the facility.
.@WHO has received troubling reports of increasing hostilities and ongoing evacuation orders near the vital Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of #Gaza, which according to the facility’s director forced over 600 patients and most health workers to leave. Their locations are not… pic.twitter.com/Vzd9UWThNm
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 7, 2024
WHO Health Emergency Officer Sean Casey shared a video depicting chaotic scenes at the hospital, where patients were being treated on blood-streaked floors, highlighting the urgent need for medical assistance. The hospital's immediate requirements include additional healthcare workers, medical supplies, and beds, a UN release stated.
According to the UN health agency, no hospitals in northern Gaza are fully operational, and WHO missions to the area have been canceled due to safety risks and lack of necessary permissions. The ongoing conflict has resulted in a significant increase in casualties, with more than 120 trauma cases and numerous fatalities reported daily.
The situation is dire, with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimating approximately 3,200 new cases of diarrhea per day among children under five years old. This marks a significant rise from the pre-conflict average of 2,000 cases per month. Concerns are also mounting for children under two years old who are facing severe food scarcity and are only receiving grains or milk as sustenance.
UNICEF's Executive-Director Catherine Russell has emphasized the urgency of the situation, warning that the threat of famine could lead to hundreds of thousands more young children becoming severely malnourished, putting them at risk of death.
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