“Medical Facilities Targeted: WHO Warns of Unbearable Scenes in Gaza’s North”
In a heartbreaking development, the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals the complete breakdown of healthcare facilities in northern Gaza, No functional hospital left in northern Gaza, a result of targeted Israeli attacks. The WHO describes the situation as ‘beyond catastrophic,’ where patients are left without functioning hospitals, begging for food and water. WHO says: No functional hospital left in northern Gaza.
No functional hospital left in northern Gaza : Says WHO
As of December 21, 2023, northern Gaza is devoid of operational hospitals due to critical shortages in fuel, staff, and supplies. The WHO conducted missions to two badly damaged hospitals, al-Shifa and Ahli, depicting scenes of unbearable suffering, with largely abandoned patients pleading for basic necessities.
Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, expressed the severity of the situation, stating, “Our staff are running out of words to describe the beyond catastrophic situation facing remaining patients and health workers.”
According to the WHO, out of 36 health facilities in Gaza, only nine are partially functional, all concentrated in southern Gaza. Peeperkorn emphasized that there are no functional hospitals left in the north.
Describing Ahli Arab Hospital as a “shell of a hospital,” Peeperkorn revealed the grim reality of its limited care provision. With only about 10 staff members, primarily junior doctors and nurses, the hospital struggles to provide basic first aid, pain management, and wound care with scarce resources.
Peeperkorn urgently called for a humanitarian ceasefire, emphasizing the critical need to reinforce and restock remaining health facilities, deliver essential medical services, and, above all, stop the bloodshed and death. The healthcare crisis adds to the escalating humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, where diplomatic efforts for a pause in the war face increasing challenges.
As the UN Security Council deliberates on a potential pause in hostilities and aid delivery to Gaza, the global community is urged to address the immediate healthcare crisis in northern Gaza, emphasizing the need for urgent humanitarian intervention to prevent further loss of life.
News Sources : Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
