UN Official: Israel's Restrictions on Gaza Aid Hinder Health Response and Disease Spread Threatens the Entire Region

SadaNews - The Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean at the World Health Organization, Hanan Balkhi, stated that ongoing Israeli restrictions on the entry of medical aid into the Gaza Strip hinder the health response, warning that the spread of diseases in Gaza threatens the entire region.

Balkhi confirmed in a press interview on Monday that the deterioration of the situation in Gaza is no longer only related to attacks, but has come to include obstruction of access to health services, jeopardizing the lives of the population.

She added: "We clearly see that access to healthcare has become significantly threatened. The health system is operating at maximum capacity, under severely dwindling resources, with limited access, and rapidly increasing needs, indicating that life-saving supplies are available but are not reaching the sector.

She explained: "Trucks, medicines, and medical supplies are waiting, while patients are either not receiving care or are getting it to a very limited extent. Most crossings leading to Gaza are closed, and the flow of medical aid is severely restricted, undermining the entire health response."

She noted that the entry of fuel into Gaza is far below the required levels, forcing hospitals to operate on a rotational basis.

She emphasized that the fuel shortage threatens the continuity of health services, saying: "Without fuel, hospitals will cease to operate, which poses a risk not only to the hospitals but to the entire health system."

She also pointed out that the recent escalation has also affected the ceasefire aimed at facilitating the entry of aid and ensuring medical evacuations.

Balkhi mentioned that medical evacuations lack regularity, depriving critically ill patients of access to life-saving care.

She added that the reconstruction of Gaza, both in terms of infrastructure and housing, may take decades, creating an environment conducive to the increase of diseases and the worsening of health needs.

She explained that since the ceasefire started, only 388 patients have been evacuated, including 47 children, and reported that the organization has contributed to the evacuation of 3,668 patients since October 2023.