GENEVA, May 4, 2025 (WAFA) – The humanitarian health situation in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Sunday, describing conditions as “catastrophic” due to a continued blockade that has prevented the entry of medical aid for nearly two months.
“We are very close to the edge of the abyss,” said WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris in a statement, highlighting the dire impact of the Israeli siege on Gaza’s healthcare system.
According to Harris, Palestinians in the besieged enclave are deprived of basic necessities, including food, clean water, shelter, and medical care. Fear is so pervasive, she noted, that many residents are even afraid to visit hospitals, which have been repeatedly targeted during the ongoing conflict.
Healthcare workers in Gaza are struggling to treat the wounded due to severe shortages of essential medical supplies. “Doctors and nurses lack everything—from blood bags and IV units to cotton swabs for cleaning wounds and antibiotics to prevent infections,” Harris told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.
Hospitals are receiving patients with a variety of trauma-related injuries, including open wounds and bone fractures, all highly susceptible to infection. Daily bombardments have intensified the influx of casualties, overwhelming a health system already pushed beyond its limits.
Harris warned that overcrowded living conditions, widespread malnutrition, and a lack of clean water have led to a surge in communicable diseases. “Many residents are suffering from diarrhea and other waterborne illnesses, raising the already significant health risks,” she said.
Currently, there are 21 hospitals and four field facilities operating in Gaza, but none have adequate bed capacity to meet the needs. “Hospitals are so overwhelmed that patients are often discharged before they have fully recovered, just to make space for new arrivals,” Harris explained.
With hallways turned into makeshift treatment areas, the risk of mortality continues to rise. Medical teams are forced to work under impossible conditions, made worse by the continued lack of humanitarian access.
Harris emphasized that WHO has a team on the ground in Gaza, along with two stocked medical warehouses prepared during a brief ceasefire. However, the inability to deliver this aid is crippling efforts to address the escalating crisis.
M.N
