GENEVA, March 6, 2026 (WAFA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday that medicine stocks in the Gaza Strip are extremely low amid limited access for medical supplies to the enclave.

WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Hanan Balkhy said that supplies of some basic materials, including gauze and needles, have already run out.

“In Gaza, the health system remains extremely fragile, and stocks of essential medicines, trauma treatment supplies, and surgical consumables are critically low,” Balkhy said, adding that fuel shortages are also limiting hospitals’ operational capacity.

She warned that without consistent humanitarian access, including the safe transport of medical supplies and the resumption of medical evacuations, patients will continue to face life-threatening delays in receiving care.

Balkhy noted that the WHO was able to bring some medical supplies and fuel into Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, but several aid trucks are still stuck in the Egyptian city of El Arish.

According to her, the number of trucks that entered Gaza does not exceed 200 per day, while at least 600 trucks are required daily to meet the territory’s needs. She also called for allowing more fuel into Gaza to keep hospitals operating.

She further explained that half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have remained closed since the start of the ceasefire, while those still functioning are struggling to maintain vital services such as surgeries, dialysis and intensive care.

Balkhy added that the Rafah Crossing, the main exit point for most Gaza residents, remains closed and that medical evacuation operations have been suspended.

WHO data show that around 18,000 people, including wounded children and patients with chronic illnesses, are currently waiting for medical evacuation.

M.N