In a press conferenceDr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO A representative from the West Bank and Gaza told journalists that there are currently no functional hospitals in the enclave’s southernmost city of Rafah, following the recent Israeli offensive there.
The number of hospital beds has fallen dramatically, from 3,500 before the conflict broke out to just 1,400 now, he added.
He said 600 of those 1,400 are provided by field hospitals, “so currently from the Ministry of Health and permanent NGO hospitals there are only 800 hospital beds in use out of 3,500, plus 600 field hospital beds, for a population of 2.2 million people.”
The WHO official also stressed the urgency of getting critically ill patients out of Gaza. He said another 10,000 patients urgently need to be evacuated. Half of them are suffering from severe trauma, including spinal cord injuries and amputations.
Despite the willingness of hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to admit patients – as in neighboring countries – safe corridors for evacuation are essential, he stressed: first to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, second to Egypt via Rafah, with Jordan as a third option.
Many countries have offered medical evacuation services, Dr. Peeperkorn added. “Don’t let politics stand in the way of life-saving care for patients who are in critical condition,” he pleaded.
Entire population traumatized
The mental health crisis in Gaza is also a major concern, affecting all 2.2 million residents and humanitarian workers.
“It’s about children… It’s about adolescents. It’s about women. It’s about men. It’s about the elderly. It’s about health workers. It’s about aid workers… No one is unaffected by what happened, and this also requires special attention in early recovery and rehabilitation,” Dr. Peeperkorn emphasized.
Stop targeting schools
In another development, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency assisting the Palestinians (UNRWA), reported that attacks on schools in Gaza are an almost daily occurrence.
“At least eight schools have been hit in the past ten days, including six UNRWA schools” he said in a post on X“The war robbed the girls and boys in Gaza of their childhood and education.”
He added that schools should never be used for combat or military purposes by any party to the conflict.
“Schools are not a target,” he stressed.
