CHAIRMAN of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the WHO-Palestinian Red Crescent operation had succeeded in distributing needed supplies to two hospitals in northern Gaza.
“WHO and its partners finally managed to reach Kamal Adwan and Al-Sahaba hospitals yesterday after efforts over the past week,” he wrote on social media platform X. “The mission was completed amidst ongoing hostilities,” he said.
He said the drivers had undergone harrowing security checks and were temporarily detained at a checkpoint.
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WHO often criticizes the Israeli government’s obstruction of supply missions and patient evacuation. This was conveyed again on Friday (11/10) during a press conference in Geneva, especially regarding the aid mission to the northern Gaza Strip.
“A one-off mission is not enough. There is an ongoing need to resupply hospitals to keep them functioning,” Tedros said. He repeated his call for continued facilitation of humanitarian missions and ensuring safety for humanitarian staff as well as for a ceasefire
According to WHO, 13 patients in critical condition were transferred from Kamal Adwan Hospital to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. “Hospitals are overwhelmed and are still serving around 60 inpatients and receiving at least 50-70 injured patients every day,” said Tedros.
Also read: WHO Exceeds Polio Vaccination Target for Gaza Children
Six other patients who were previously transferred from al-Awda Hospital to Kamal Adwan were also taken to Al-Shifa along with their companions.
The supply mission also delivered 20,000 liters of fuel to maintain Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda operations and 23,000 liters of fuel was sent to Al-Sahaba Hospital along with 800 units of blood as well as essential medicines and supplies. This fuel is mainly used to run hospital generators to ensure electricity supply.
Hospital infrastructure across the Gaza Strip is extremely fragile after a year of war between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas, with many facilities hit by gunfire or fighting. The Israeli military accused Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and carried out an attack on October 7, 2023 in Israel, which triggered the war. (CNA/Z-2)
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