A WHO-led mission visited hospitals in Gaza City last Saturday and delivered more than 19,000 liters of fuel to Al-Chifa Hospital, the largest in the Palestinian territory, which was besieged by the Israeli army in November, it was revealed on Sunday Night on X (ex-Twitter) was given to the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The members of the mission shared their concerns about the humanitarian situation, He stressed that mission members on the ground were witnessing “increasing desperation due to hunger.” His statement underlines the scale of the food crisis affecting the local population and signals the imminent emergency that requires an urgent and coordinated response.
According to the WHO chief “The incessant fighting and the large number of wounded have brought (Al-Chifa Hospital’s) capacity to its knees.” Under these conditions, the facility can only provide “the most basic first aid”.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director of the WHO. | Photo: Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, File
Israel vowed to destroy Hamas, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization. especially the European Union and Israel, after an unprecedented attack on its territory on October 7, which, according to the latest official Israeli report, killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians.
Sean Casey, a key member of the World Health Organization (WHO) mission, provided a worrying overview of the medical situation at Al-Chifa Hospital. According to their observations, surgical wards are under excessive strain, an eloquent testimony to the unprecedented pressure facing the region's healthcare system.
Casey highlighted the seriousness of the situation by reporting that he encountered a challenging situation while assessing the operations of the operating rooms: “I couldn’t assess the operation of the operating rooms because there were people there and the doors weren’t opened.”
Doctors claim there are already shortages of supplies in hospitals. | Photo: Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
“Everyone we talk to is hungry” He adds in a video he filmed at Al-Chifa Hospital and published on X. “There is a risk of famine,” he warns.
With this report, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, added a shocking testimony to the already critical humanitarian situation Desperate residents of the area had even gone so far as to hijack food aid from a truck heading to the hospital. In his remarks, Tedros highlighted the severity of the food shortage, stressing that the desperate search for food has led some to take extreme measures, such as picking up food directly from delivery trucks.
Palestinian children carry pots as they queue for food at a charity kitchen, amid a food shortage as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, December 14, 2023. | Photo: Portal
In this context of deprivation and distress, the scene of residents collecting food from a vehicle destined for the hospital illustrates the level of urgency and desperation that prevails in the region. The situation has reached a critical point where people are simply forced to resort to extraordinary measures to meet their basic nutritional needs.
WHO teams also visited the maternity wards of Al-Shabab and Al-Helou. which register up to 35 births per day, against the background of shortages of food, water, oxygen, antibiotics and anesthetics, as well as fuel to operate the generators.
*With information from AFP.