2023-10-31 18:04:00
Al-Quds, one of the hospitals in Gaza whose surroundings have been bombed over the past weekend, according to the UN.
Photo: EFE – MOHAMMED SABER
During the Security Council that took place this morning at the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO) called for humanitarian action in the midst of the conflict. (You may be interested in: Malaria: the outbreaks continue and nothing we can eradicate it in Colombia)
According to a report from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), “the surroundings of the Shifa and Al Quds hospitals, in Gaza City, and the Indonesian hospital, in northern Gaza, have been bombed over the weekend.”
Added to this is the limited availability of medical supplies in Gaza due to the restriction on their entry. Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesperson on the Security Council, assured that, due to military actions, “almost all sources of supplies” have been cut off.
During the meeting it was stated that there was still an income, although very reduced, of supplies to the area. Given this, the WHO representative responded that “if they have 5 or 6% supplies, I don’t think it matters. They need many more.” (We recommend: Doctors around the world ask for urgent actions to stop climate change)
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In addition to deaths from direct actions, such as bombings, the WHO explained that people are also dying from lack of attention to other medical needs. For example, the organization explained, there are about 50,000 pregnant women in need of care, 130 premature babies who need incubators, patients in need of kidney dialysis and around 350,000 people with non-communicable diseases, such as cancer or diabetes.
According to Lindmeier, the WHO has the capacity to meet the needs for supplies and medical care in Gaza. However, to do so they need to be guaranteed safe access to the area and a humanitarian pause in war actions. (You can also read: When mosquitoes become a public threat)
If these actions are not taken, he assured, it is an “imminent public health catastrophe” that adds to other problems related to the conflict, such as massive displacement and the damage that is recorded to health in water.
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