Gaza Herald_The World Health Organization warned Friday that medical supplies in Gaza have fallen to dangerously low levels as restrictions on humanitarian aid and declining deliveries continue to strain the territory’s healthcare system.
Hanan Balkhy, the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said several basic medical items, including gauze and needles, have already run out. She stressed that Gaza’s health sector remains extremely fragile after months of war and destruction.
Hospitals Struggling to Stay Operational
According to the WHO, stocks of essential medicines, trauma treatment supplies, and surgical consumables are now severely limited. At the same time, fuel shortages are reducing hospitals’ operational capacity, putting patients’ lives at serious risk.
Balkhy warned that without consistent humanitarian access, including the safe transport of medical supplies and the resumption of medical evacuations, thousands of patients will continue to face delays in receiving urgent healthcare.
Limited Aid Deliveries
The WHO said it managed to deliver some medical supplies and fuel into Gaza earlier this week. However, several aid trucks remain stranded in Egypt’s El Arish city, awaiting clearance to enter the enclave.
Currently, no more than about 200 aid trucks are entering Gaza daily, far below the roughly 600 trucks humanitarian agencies say are needed each day to meet basic needs.
Half of Gaza’s Hospitals Closed
The limited flow of aid remains insufficient to sustain the healthcare system, the WHO warned, calling for more fuel deliveries to keep hospitals functioning.
Of Gaza’s 36 hospitals, about half remain closed despite the ceasefire. Facilities that are still operating are struggling to maintain essential services such as surgeries, dialysis treatment, and intensive care.
Thousands Await Medical Evacuation
Balkhy also noted that the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main exit point, remains closed, effectively halting medical evacuation operations.
According to WHO data, around 18,000 people, including injured children and patients suffering from chronic illnesses, are currently waiting to leave Gaza to receive treatment abroad.
Health System Under Unprecedented Pressure
Gaza’s healthcare system has been under extraordinary strain since the war began in October 2023. The conflict caused widespread destruction to medical infrastructure and left hospitals facing severe shortages of medicine, equipment, and essential supplies.
