GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday that Gaza is facing a severe shortage of medical supplies, even with Israel reopening a crucial border crossing earlier this week.
Hanan Balkhy, the WHO’s regional director, shared that basic items like gauze and needles are already depleted, citing updates from Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has left many medical resources critically low, and fuel shortages are further hampering hospital operations.
“The situation is dire, and we are about to run out of the little we have left,” she stated.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military announced the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing to allow humanitarian aid to gradually enter Gaza. This followed earlier shutdowns due to missile threats amid escalating tensions after Israeli and U.S. forces conducted attacks on Iran over the weekend.
The Rafah crossing, which leads to Egypt and serves as the primary exit for most residents of Gaza, remains closed, halting medical evacuations, according to the WHO.
Approximately 18,000 individuals, including injured children and those with chronic illnesses, are awaiting evacuation, as reported by the U.N. agency. Balkhy noted that while some medical supplies and fuel were brought in on Tuesday and Wednesday, many trucks still wait in al-Arish, Egypt.
“Out of the 600 trucks that need to enter daily, only about 200 are currently making it through, which is far from enough to meet the needs in Gaza,” she remarked, urging for more fuel to be allowed in to support hospital operations.
Half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain closed after the recent conflict ended with a fragile ceasefire last October. The facilities still operating are struggling to provide essential services like surgeries, dialysis, and intensive care.
