The Director-General of the World Health Organization warned that Gaza is experiencing a health “catastrophe” that will continue “for generations to come.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that a massive increase in aid was needed to begin to meet the complex needs of the Strip’s population.
Israel has allowed more medical supplies and other aid into Gaza since a ceasefire with Hamas went into effect on October 10, but Dr. Tedros said the levels fell short of those needed to rebuild the Strip’s healthcare system.
His intervention comes at a time when the United States is trying to do so Support the ceasefire you helped broker After the outbreak of violence over the weekend.
The White House described the agreement as the first phase of a 20-point peace plan that includes an increase in the amount of aid entering Gaza and the distribution of supplies “without interference” from either side.
Dr Tedros told the Today program that he welcomed the ceasefire agreement but said the increase in aid that followed was less than expected.
In response to a question about the situation on the ground, he said Gazans were suffering from famine, “overwhelming” infections, a collapsed healthcare system, and disease outbreaks fueled by the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure.
He continued: “Moreover, [there is] Restricting access to humanitarian aid. This is a very deadly combination, that’s what makes… [the situation] “Disastrous beyond words.”
In response to a question about the long-term health prospects in Gaza, he added: “If you take famine and combine it with the mental health problem that we see rampant, the situation will be a crisis for generations to come.”
Tom Fletcher, Head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, He said earlier this week Aid groups are “working to reverse the famine crisis” but “much more” is needed.
The United Nations World Food Program said on Tuesday that trucks carrying more than 6,700 tons of food had entered since October 10, but this was still far short of its target of 2,000 tons per day.
Dr. Tedros said that six hundred aid trucks should arrive daily in Gaza, but the average was between 200 and 300, and called on Israeli authorities to “decouple” aid from the broader conflict.
People were seen collecting boxes containing World Food Program aid in central Gaza on Tuesday [Reuters]
On Sunday, Israel temporarily halted aid deliveries after it said two Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack by Hamas gunmen in Gaza. Hamas said at the time that it had no knowledge of the clashes.
The Israeli army responded with a series of air strikes across the Strip, killing dozens of Palestinians.
Aid deliveries resumed the next day after intense international pressure.
Dr Tedros said weapons should not be “used” in aid, and called on Israel not to impose conditions on its delivery, including the return of the remains of dead hostages still in Gaza, which became a major point of contention during the ceasefire.
Hamas committed to returning the bodies, but has so far only transferred 15 out of 28, saying it was unable to recover the rest.
Last week, Hamas released twenty Israeli hostages alive in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons.
“There should be full access, there should be no conditions, especially after all the living hostages have been released and a large portion of the remains have been transferred. I did not expect there to be additional restrictions,” Dr. Tedros said today.
In response to a question about the role the United States should play, Dr. Tedros said, “Since the United States brokered the peace agreement, it has a responsibility to ensure that all parties respect it.”
Israel currently operates two crossings – Kerem Shalom in the southeast, and Kissufim in central Gaza – but still faces calls from aid organizations to restore all access routes it controls.
Dr Tedros said “all available crossings” were needed to get enough aid into Gaza, and called on Israel to allow aid organizations that had previously been denied registration to return to the Strip, saying: “You cannot have a scaled-up response without those who can provide assistance on the ground.”
Major aid organizations called for a faster increase in the number of trucks carrying aid supplies to Gaza [Reuters]
He also said that supplies meant to be used to restore Gaza’s health system were confiscated at the border because Israeli authorities say they could have a military use.
“If you’re going to build a field hospital, you need fabric and poles [for tents]He continued: “So if the poles are removed under the pretext that they can be dual-use, you will not have a tent.”
Dr. Tedros said thousands of Palestinians were waiting for weekly medical evacuation flights, although none had taken off for two weeks due to religious holidays in Israel. He said 700 people had previously died while waiting for medical evacuation and called for an increase in the number of flights.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.
At least 68,229 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Strip.
In July, a UN-backed body He concluded that famine had occurred in GazaAlthough Israel disputed the results, saying that “there was no famine.”
The United Nations previously estimated that the cost of rebuilding Gaza would reach $70 billion. Dr. Tedros said that about 10% of this figure would have to be spent on its hard-hit health system.
He continued: “We have long said that peace is the best medicine.
He added, “The ceasefire we have is very fragile and some people died even after the ceasefire because it was violated several times.”
“What is very sad is that a lot of people were chanting in the streets because they were so happy that there was a peace agreement. Imagine, [some of] “These same people died after being told that the war was over.”