WHO: Health conditions in Palestine witness destruction affecting lives

SadaNews - The World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean Region described the destruction affecting health and human lives in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, as a "severe tragedy".

The organization's director, Dr. Hanan Balkhi, stated in a press release from the regional office of the organization today, Thursday, that "since October 2023, more than 72,000 people have been killed, and another 182,000 have been injured, pointing out that in 2025 alone, approximately 26,000 additional deaths were reported".

She explained that even after the ceasefire in October 2025, the killing of civilians continued, health services remained disrupted, and access to humanitarian aid remained restricted.

She noted that there are currently no hospitals operating at full capacity in Gaza, confirming that no hospitals at all are functioning in northern Gaza, and more than half of the essential medicines have run out, while thousands of patients still need urgent medical evacuation.

She pointed out that infectious diseases continue to spread amid overcrowding and deteriorating health conditions, while the needs for mental health are immense, with a sharp rise in risks threatening mothers and newborns.

Regarding the West Bank, she confirmed that conditions continue to worsen due to escalating violence and movement restrictions, highlighting that the financial crisis facing the Palestinian Authority has severely limited healthcare, as public hospitals only provide emergency services.

She clarified that the organization and its partners continue to work under extremely harsh conditions, indicating that the organization has called for $648 million to fund the health response in 2025, but more than 75% of this amount has not yet been funded.

She added that despite these restrictions, the organization provided the necessary support to deliver more than 4,000 metric tons of emergency medical supplies to Gaza and facilitated the delivery of fuel that maintained the resilience of the health system, while continuing to expand emergency care and care for the injured in the West Bank.

The regional director emphasized that political statements alone are not sufficient to sustain humanitarian operations, calling for the protection of healthcare, the continuous flow of humanitarian aid, and the lifting of restrictions that hinder access to essential medical supplies and emergency medical teams.

She also demanded continued international support to restore and expand health services and reduce reliance on medical evacuation, and to reopen referral pathways from the West Bank.