GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that the northern Gaza Strip is facing a dire situation, with no operational hospitals due to resource shortages resulting from the ongoing Israeli offensive.
According to Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, there are no functional hospitals left in the north.
Al-Ahli was the last one to partially function, but it is now minimally operational, treating existing patients but unable to admit new ones.
Al-Shifa, Al-Awda, and Al-Sahaba hospitals are also grappling with similar challenges.
Peeperkorn emphasized that these hospitals are still providing shelter to thousands of displaced people. Currently, only nine out of 36 health facilities are partially functional in the entire Gaza Strip, and all of them are located in the south.
The situation at Al-Ahli Hospital is particularly dire. Previously the only hospital in northern Gaza where surgeries could be performed, it is now described as a “shell” due to the lack of fuel, power, medical supplies, and health workers.
The hospital has ceased functioning as a medical facility and is currently operating as a hospice, offering minimal care services.
Peeperkorn painted a grim picture of Al-Ahli Hospital, stating that it is in “utter chaos, completely congested, and a disaster zone.”
He reported that more than 20 Al Ahli hospital staff were arrested on Monday, with six released and forced to relocate to the south. However, the fate of the remaining staff members in detention remains unknown.
Expressing concern for the safety of health workers, patients, and facilities, Peeperkorn urged all parties involved in the conflict to abide by international humanitarian law.
In the southern Gaza Strip, two major hospitals are operating well beyond their bed capacity, with overall occupancy rates reaching 206% in inpatient departments and 250% in ICUs.
These hospitals are also providing shelter to internally displaced people, totaling over 1.9 million, with 85% of the population estimated to be displaced, including half a million children.
The representative disclosed that 136 UNRWA staff members have lost their lives since the start of hostilities.
Addressing the attacks on healthcare, Peeperkorn stated that 246 attacks occurred in Gaza as of Wednesday, resulting in 582 fatalities and 748 injuries. These attacks have impacted 61 healthcare facilities and 76 ambulances.
The ongoing Israeli offensive has had devastating consequences. Health authorities report nearly 20,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, killed and 52,586 others injured.
Gaza is now in ruins, with half of its housing stock damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million people displaced, facing shortages of food and clean water.
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