WHO says more than 2/3 of Gaza hospitals no longer functioning

UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell (right) visits Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza on November 14, 2023. (UNICEF/ UNI470988)
UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell (right) visits Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza on November 14, 2023. (UNICEF/ UNI470988)

Less than a third of Gaza’s hospitals are still functioning, with about 26 out of 36 institutions now closed — either because they have been damaged or because they ran out of fuel, the World Health Organization claims.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in the West Bank and Gaza, says about 45 patients at Shifa Hospital are receiving dialysis and that there are no central supplies of oxygen, water or fuel.

Peeperkorn says several organizations, including the WHO, are “urgently exploring the possibility of an evacuation of patients and medical staff.”

Israel has produced evidence showing that Hamas is hording half a million liters of fuel and refusing to hand it over for humanitarian purposes.

Most Popular