GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that the northern Gaza Strip has been left without a functional hospital due to shortages in fuel, staff, and supplies.
According to the global health agency, out of the 36 health facilities in Gaza, only nine hospitals are partially operational, all situated in the southern part of the enclave. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in Gaza, expressed concerns, stating that there are currently no functional hospitals in the north.
Al-Ahli Hospital, the last operational facility, is minimally functional and can only treat existing patients, not admitting new ones. Described as a “shell of a hospital,” Al-Ahli provides limited care with a staff of around 10 junior doctors and nurses. The hospital’s operating theaters are no longer functional due to shortages in fuel, power, medical supplies, and qualified health workers.
Peeperkorn highlighted the dire situation, mentioning that Al-Ahli Hospital, overwhelmed with patients needing emergency care, was the only facility in northern Gaza where surgeries could be performed until recently.
The lack of resources has resulted in bodies from recent Israeli attacks being lined up in the hospital’s courtyard, as safe and dignified burials cannot be provided. Northern Gaza now has only three other minimally functioning health facilities—Al-Shifa, Al Awda, and Al Sahaba hospitals—which are currently serving as shelters for thousands of displaced individuals.
Patients at Al-Ahli Hospital facing prolonged waits for surgeries
Patients at Al-Ahli Hospital are facing prolonged waits for surgeries, and those who have undergone operations are at risk of post-operation infections due to a scarcity of antibiotics and other essential drugs.
Peeperkorn reiterated the WHO’s urgent call for a humanitarian ceasefire, emphasizing the critical need to reinforce and restock the remaining health facilities, deliver necessary medical services to the injured, and halt the ongoing bloodshed and loss of life.
According to Gaza health ministry at least 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in unrelenting Israeli bombardments since October 7. The casualties include 8,000 children and 6,200 women, underscoring the devastating toll on the civilian population.
The UN has said that some 1.87 million Palestinians, over 80 percent of Gaza’s population, have left their homes because of the Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave. The Israeli raids have almost destroyed entire neighborhoods in northern Gaza.
