Geneva – A senior official from Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has issued a stark appeal for countries to open their doors to tens of thousands of Gazan residents in dire need of medical evacuation, warning that hundreds have already died while waiting.
Hani Isleem, who coordinates medical evacuations from Gaza for the organization, stated that the number of patients received by countries so far is merely “a drop in the ocean.” His plea comes amid growing concerns over the collapsing healthcare system in the besieged territory.
The World Health Organization estimates that over 8,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza since the start of the conflict. However, they also report that more than 165,000 patients still require treatment outside the Palestinian enclave. The immense pressure on Gaza’s medical infrastructure, already weakened by years of blockade and repeated conflicts, has made it impossible to adequately treat all those in need.
Speaking at the Médecins Sans Frontières headquarters in Geneva after accompanying critically ill Gazan children to Switzerland for treatment, Isleem emphasized that the official figures only represent registered patients awaiting medical evacuation and that the true number is significantly higher. “Our estimation is that the number is three to four times that figure,” he warned.
To date, over 30 countries have accepted patients from the Gaza Strip, but the numbers remain insufficient to address the overwhelming need. The urgency of the situation demands a coordinated international response to prevent further loss of life. The lack of access to adequate medical care continues to exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis facing the people of Gaza.
