The Executive Board of the World Health Organization on Sunday adopted a resolution urging the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
At the request of 17 Member States, the Executive Council held an extraordinary session at WHO headquarters in Geneva to discuss the health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in his opening speech that “the impact of the conflict on health is catastrophic” and that “the health system in Gaza is on its knees and collapsing.”
According to the World Health Organization, only 14 out of 36 hospitals are partially functioning, two of which are in the northern Gaza Valley and 12 in its south.
While the head of the World Health Organization condemned the attacks launched by Hamas on Israel and expressed his regret for the deaths of more than 1,200 people, he said that reports indicate that more than 17,000 people died in Gaza, including 7,000 children.
He confirmed that more than 46,000 cases of infection had been reported, while 1.9 million people were displaced from their homes, meaning "almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip."
According to international law, health care facilities are designated for protection during conflicts. However, Tedros said that since October 7, the World Health Organization has verified more than 449 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza and the West Bank, and 60 attacks on healthcare facilities in Israel.
Tedros stressed that the ceasefire is crucial to protecting and enhancing the health of the people of Gaza.
