Gaza Strip – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued stark warnings Saturday regarding the rapidly deteriorating health and living conditions in the Gaza Strip. The agencies cited the ongoing blockade and border closures as key factors exacerbating the crisis, particularly with the approaching winter season.
The WHO reported that approximately 16,500 patients in Gaza are awaiting urgent medical evacuation for treatment abroad. While medical supplies are reportedly ready and waiting at the border, their entry remains blocked due to the continued closure of crossing points.
The organization urgently called for the reopening of all border crossings, emphasizing the Rafah crossing’s critical role in facilitating medical evacuations and the entry of essential health supplies. The WHO urged unimpeded access for aid and appealed to more countries to receive patients for treatment.
OCHA echoed these concerns, highlighting that hundreds of thousands of families in Gaza face the onset of winter without adequate protection or safe shelter. The agency also noted that only a mere 4% of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip remains viable and accessible, a consequence of widespread destruction.
According to the latest figures released by the Palestinian Ministry of Health on Saturday, the death toll from the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has tragically risen to 69,169, with 170,685 reported injuries.
