The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that adequate healthcare is still severely lacking in the Gaza Strip nearly two weeks after the latest ceasefire. Despite the arrival of medical supplies and equipment long-blocked by border closures, only 14 of 36 hospitals and a fraction of health centres and treatment rooms are operational.
WHO representative Rik Peeperkorn explained that Israel has opened only two border crossings, making it difficult to meet the urgent demand for medical aid. Key hospitals remain inaccessible to patients as they are in areas still controlled by Israel. The WHO has equipment ready but needs faster, broader access to deliver needed care.
Access to humanitarian aid remains tightly controlled, with permits required for each delivery and individual inspection of shipments causing delays. Peeperkorn cited the slow process that took two and a half years to deliver eight mobile X-ray machines as an example.
Critical medical equipment such as CT scanners is in short supply, with only two available in Gaza, underscoring the urgent need for expanded healthcare capacity to serve the population.
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