UN warns Gaza health sector being “choked off” amid relentless Israeli war
Geneva (Quds News Network) – The United Nations Relief Chief, Martin Griffiths, has warned that the health sector in Gaza is facing a slow but devastating deterioration as hospitals come under continuous fire in the ongoing Israeli war of genocide on the enclave.
In a post on X, Griffiths questioned the consequences if the health system collapses, emphasizing the severe impact on maternal care, child vaccinations, and medical treatment for the sick and wounded, ultimately leading to preventable deaths.
He stressed the urgent need for the war to end to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, adding that the health sector in the enclave was “being slowly choked off.”
He said: “Pregnant mothers can’t deliver their babies safely. Children can’t get vaccines. The sick and wounded can’t get treatment. People die… This war needs to end,” the UN chief stressed.
Expressing his grief over recent casualties, Griffiths highlighted the tragic loss of four members of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance crews killed in an Israeli airstrike while on duty.
Simultaneously, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip is causing casualties and extensive damage to vital civilian infrastructure.
There are growing concerns about repeated denials of access to areas north of Wadi Gaza, exacerbating the risk of a collapse in health services in Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis.
Humanitarian actors have warned that only one-fifth of the required 5,000 beds for trauma and emergency needs in Gaza are available, and more than three-quarters of the 77 primary health centers are non-functional.
Furthermore, approximately 350,000 individuals with chronic illnesses and 485,000 people with mental health disorders are experiencing disruptions in their treatments.
The internally displaced, numbering 1.9 million, face a high risk of communicable diseases due to poor living conditions, overcrowded shelters, and inadequate access to water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.
