“The population has been almost entirely dispossessed of the means and capacities to ensure food security, shelter, health, and livelihood,” said Maryse Guimond, UN Women’s Special Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “Women were asking me, ‘When can we go back to our homes?’ Each displacement has brought more loss and fear.”
Speaking to journalists in Geneva via video, veteran humanitarian worker Ms. Guimond described seeing people “crammed” into makeshift shelters and lacking even the most basic essentials. At one school-turned-shelter run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), there are only 25 toilets for the 14,000 people seeking safety inside the compound and the 59,000 others camping outside, she noted.
Pointing to the “enormous” problems of access to Gaza’s last functioning hospitals today, Dr Rik Peeperkorn from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the enclave’s health workers, obstetricians, and doctors now treat far higher levels of low birthweight babies than before the war.
“We see a lot of preterm babies and low birthweight babies and you see that often in times of conflicts, war…but we even had the stories where women were going when they had access to the hospital would ask for an early Caesarean to make sure that they deliver and deliver safely because they were completely unclear and they were scared about the access, if they would be able to access the hospital later, because of the volatile security situation and the constantly changing situation.”
Beyond the risks of giving birth in Gaza today for mothers and their babies in a place where “there is hardly any antenatal care”, the WHO medic highlighted the “amazing” amount of trauma cases, amputees, and patients with chronic health conditions who urgently need to be evacuated out of the enclave for treatment.
Since war erupted on October 7 after Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel, roughly 4,800 patients have been evacuated out of medical necessity from Gaza, most to Egypt and elsewhere in the region. But “at least another 10,000 patients” now need specialist treatment outside the enclave, Dr Peeperkorn said – “half of them related to the war and half of them related to what we call the chronic diseases: …cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other non-communicable diseases, including severe mental health cases”.
Some 50 to 100 medical evacuations used to happen regularly from Gaza to hospitals in the West Bank before the war, the WHO official explained, as he appealed for the reopening of Rafah border crossing in the south of the enclave, or for nearby Kerem Shalom to be used instead.
The UN health agency also pushed back at Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claims that recently announced pauses in fighting have led to an improvement in the humanitarian situation.
“And the reason is that this humanitarian pause was not reflected on…
The situation in Gaza has reached a critical point of desperation, with thousands of people facing dire living conditions and limited access to essential services. Maryse Guimond, UN Women’s Special Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described the severe lack of food security, shelter, health, and livelihood among the population, particularly affecting women who have been displaced multiple times.
The overcrowded makeshift shelters in Gaza, such as the school-turned-shelter run by UNRWA, highlight the dire living conditions faced by thousands of people. With only 25 toilets for over 14,000 people seeking safety inside the compound and tens of thousands more camping outside, the lack of basic sanitation facilities poses a significant health risk. The limited access to functioning hospitals in Gaza further exacerbates the already dire situation, with health workers struggling to provide adequate care to those in need.
Dr. Rik Peeperkorn from the WHO shed light on the alarming increase in low birthweight babies and preterm births in Gaza, a trend often seen in conflict zones. The lack of proper antenatal care and the fear of accessing hospitals due to the volatile security situation have led to desperate measures, such as requesting early Caesarean sections for safe delivery. In addition to maternal and neonatal health concerns, Gaza is also facing a surge in trauma cases, amputations, and patients with chronic health conditions requiring urgent medical evacuation.
While some patients have been evacuated for treatment outside of Gaza, the number of individuals in need of specialized care continues to rise. Dr. Peeperkorn highlighted the urgent need for at least 10,000 more patients to be evacuated for treatment, including those with war-related injuries and chronic illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The closure of border crossings and limited access to medical facilities have further complicated the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The appeal for the reopening of border crossings and increased medical evacuations is critical to saving lives and providing essential medical care to those in need. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has only exacerbated the already fragile healthcare system, making it increasingly difficult for patients to receive the treatment they require. The international community must come together to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza and ensure that essential services are provided to those in need.
Despite recent claims of improved humanitarian conditions during pauses in fighting, the reality on the ground paints a different picture. The continued violence and instability in Gaza have only worsened the already dire situation faced by thousands of people. The international community must prioritize the health and well-being of the population in Gaza and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict to ensure that essential services are accessible to all.”
