Senior UN health agency officials on Wednesday called for
unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, citing growing
concerns about urgent health needs there.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that it has
provided essential medicines for trauma care and supported
ambulance services for more than 2,000 injured people in Gaza,
while a ceasefire holds
between Hamas and Israel, after 11 days of rocket fire and
airstrikes by both
sides during last month.
Triage and treatment
Ten WHO triage and treatment
tents have also been set up outside six emergency departments in
Gaza, but the situation remains “volatile”, said Dr. Rik
Peeperkorn WHO Head of Office in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT).
Last month’s hostilities resulted in the death of 278
Palestinians and over 9,000 injuries, with a reported 12 Israeli
lives lost also and more than 700 injured. Over 77,000 people in
Gaza were internally displaced and around 30 health facilities
were also damaged, WHO said.
COVID threat
With COVID-19 still a threat, the
agency reported that it had supported the delivery of more than
260,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the territory through the
UN-led equitable vaccine distribution, COVAX.
As of 31 May, 337,191 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,765
deaths have been reported in the OPT – with positive cases
increasing in Gaza in recent weeks.
“Palestinians’ lives are deteriorating; many of the people
affected by the conflict are in urgent need of aid and face other
health threats like COVID-19”, said Dr. Peeperkorn.
Emergency appeal
On 20 May, WHO launched an appeal for $7 million to support its
health operations over the next six months.
The funds will be focused on trauma and emergency care, mental
health and psychosocial services, advocacy, and essential health
services including for COVID-19.
To date, only $2.3 million has been received.
“WHO is working to support the Palestinian health system and its
partners in its emergency humanitarian response and calls for the
support of the international community in these efforts”,
underscored the UN’s OPT office head.
