GENEVA: Hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip have only three days of fuel left amid relentless Israeli bombardments, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, due to closed border crossings. The closure of border crossings has been preventing vital fuel supplies from reaching the besieged Palestinian territory.
The head of the WHO, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, sounded the alarm on Wednesday, emphasizing the critical importance of fuel for sustaining essential medical services. With hospitals in the south of Gaza running out of fuel, there is a looming risk of healthcare services coming to a halt.
Tedros highlighted the closure of the Rafah crossing, the main conduit for aid into Gaza, as a major obstacle hindering humanitarian operations. He underscored the urgent need for fuel to maintain healthcare services, particularly amid ongoing hostilities and military operations in the vicinity of hospitals.
The situation is particularly dire in Rafah, where Al-Najjar Hospital, one of the three hospitals in the city, has ceased functioning due to the surrounding hostilities and the military operation in the area. Tedros stressed that the closure of the Rafah crossing and the ongoing military operations are severely limiting the ability of humanitarian organizations to reach thousands of people in dire need of assistance.
Calling for an immediate halt to the hostilities and a swift resolution to the crisis, Tedros urged all parties involved to prioritize the well-being of civilians and ensure access to essential services such as food, sanitation, and healthcare. The WHO, as the UN’s health agency, plays a crucial role in coordinating and delivering humanitarian aid in crisis-affected regions.
Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign that has killed more than 34,800 Palestinian people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
