UN warns of shortage of medical supplies in Gaza

The bombing of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City has increased pressure on the remaining healthcare facilities in the besieged enclave, putting more patients and injured lives at risk.

According to the United Nations website, Rick Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative, stated that conditions in Gaza were desperate even before the bombing of al-Ahli Hospital, as many patients could not be evacuated for treatment due to severe mobility restrictions.

Having been present in Gaza before the Israeli regime violated the ceasefire, he said, “That was the only time there were adequate food reserves in Gaza.”

Peeperkorn noted that despite all the suffering in Gaza, there remains a glimmer of hope. “Rafah in the south or Jabalia in the north have turned into wastelands, but people and aid workers are returning to their homes and workplaces, striving to repair the ruins and build temporary camps,” he said.

He added, “Meanwhile, due to the ongoing siege, food, water, and essential medicines are rapidly running out, making it challenging to keep hospitals operational even to a minimal extent.”

The WHO official reported that days before the attack on al-Ahli Hospital, a medical specialist there told them the hospital was already overwhelmed, as it was a key facility in the north for patients with severe, life-threatening injuries. “They were forced to perform surgeries under questionable sterile conditions,” he said.

“They lacked sufficient surgical gowns or gloves, sometimes using the same gloves from one surgery to the next. Due to the shortage of equipment, surgeries could take hours, increasing the risk of permanent disability or amputation,” Peeperkorn explained.

Emphasizing the need to lift the siege, he said, “We must return to a situation where humanitarian corridors can operate throughout Gaza without obstruction or delay. Even during a war, humanitarian supplies must be allowed in, and aid workers must be able to do their jobs.”

The WHO representative noted that very few patients have been able to leave Gaza for the urgent care they desperately need. “We estimate that up to 12,000 patients require medical evacuation, but since the siege began, we’ve only managed to evacuate 121 people, including 73 children,” he said.