UNITED NATIONS, Jul 10 (APP): UN humanitarian officials are warning about the extreme distress of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza, with overwhelmed hospitals, soaring temperatures, hunger and a lack of even basic sanitation that present an ever more deadly threat to a population under constant Israeli attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Briefing journalists in Geneva, UN World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said that according to the enclave\u2019s health authorities, 34 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration amid ongoing Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn [northern Gaza\u2019s] Kamal Adwan hospital alone, 60 cases of severe acute malnutrition were detected last week,\u201d the WHO spokesperson told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMalnutrition is definitely one of the factors that reduces the immunity, especially of the vulnerable population, elderly and children, who then can\u2019t really cope with any disease, any pathogen that they can get,\u201d Jasarevic said, describing a \u201cvicious circle of not having access to enough food, to clean water, to clean sanitation, not having access to basic health services\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jasarevic paid tribute to the dedication of health workers who have returned to their facilities once they feel secure enough, to try and get vital services running again. Out of Gaza\u2019s 36 hospitals, only 13 are \u201cpartially functioning\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In more positive news, hundreds of Gazans sought help at a newly reopened UN health centre in Khan Younis, six months after it was severely damaged and forced to close due to heavy fighting, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UNRWA Japanese Health Center in Khan Younis offers primary healthcare services and houses a pharmacy and medical staff who had previously fled as fighting and Israeli tanks rolled through the streets outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople in Gaza desperately need healthcare, but only a fraction of UNRWA health centres are operational due to the ongoing military operations and damage and destruction of UNRWA facilities,\u201d UNRWA Senior Communications Officer, Louise Wateridge, told UN News. \u201cLess than one-third of our health centres are operational.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On its first day back up and running, 33 medical staff reported for duty and supported more than 900 patients seeking treatment, she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the medical staff at the centre, lab technician Abou Omar described the trauma of having to flee with other Gazans in January as Israeli tanks approached. \u201cI have been working in the Japanese clinic for 20 years\u2026I was in the clinic until the last day. I went through the very bitter and very difficult experience of displacement. Our spirits lifted after we heard that the Japanese clinic is functioning again; sick people feel relieved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, the centre offers pre and post-natal care and blood tests, treatment for non-communicable diseases and provision of critical outpatient treatment, after the UN agency led efforts to clear broken masonry, glass and bullets from the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like many UNRWA health facilities, the Japanese health centre operates double-shift rotations to manage the high influx of patients from 8am to 5pm. But referrals to UNRWA-contracted hospitals have become increasingly complex owing to a shortage of electricity and a lack of supplies, said Ms. Wateridge. Today, the agency has 100 temporary medical points and eight out of 26 functional health centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of 26 June, the UN agency provided mental health and psychosocial support services in Gaza\u2019s Middle and Khan Younis areas with teams of psychiatrists and supervisors to assist special cases referred from health centres and shelters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UNRWA teams responded to 626 cases in health centres and at medical points through individual consultations, offering awareness sessions and support for cases of gender-based violence. The UN agency\u2019s staff also provided medical care for 391 post-natal and pregnant women at high risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total capacity at the six partially functional hospitals in southern Gaza \u2013 including three in Deir Al Balah and three in Khan Younis \u2013 is just 1,334 beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Out of 11 field hospitals in the Gaza Strip, three have had to temporarily shut down and four are only partially functioning, \u201cdue to the hostilities in Rafah and reduced access\u201d, WHO said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding the hospital infrastructure, \u201cthe level of destruction is such that it is difficult to even imagine how much time will it take [to rebuild] once the war is over,\u201d Jasarevic stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s really no safe corner in Gaza,\u201d insisted WHO\u2019s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warning in an online post that the latest reports of evacuation orders in Gaza City \u201cwill further impede delivery of very limited lifesaving care\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAl-Ahli and Patient Friendly hospitals are out of service; patients either self-evacuated, were given early discharge or referred to Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals, which are suffering shortage of fuel, beds and trauma medical supplies,\u201d the WHO chief continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndonesian Hospital is triple over its capacity. Al-Helou Hospital is within the blocks of the evacuation order but continues to be partially functional. As-Sahaba and Al-Shifa hospitals are in close proximity to the areas under evacuation order but remain functional so far. Six medical points and two primary health care centers are also within the evacuation zones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the direct consequences of the Israeli military\u2019s relentless bombardment and shelling which continued overnight into Tuesday, \u201ceveryone in Gaza\u201d is at risk of getting sick and dying for lack of care, Jasarevic said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The situation is particularly dire for pregnant women, people living with chronic diseases such as cancer or diabetes, injured people who are not treated on time and children threatened by waterborne diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He reiterated the agency\u2019s appeal for the opening of all border crossings into the enclave, in order to enable desperately needed medical evacuations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMore than 10,000 people need to receive specialized medical care outside of Gaza. These people cannot wait,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flow of medical relief is also at a standstill and the UN health agency said that none of its trucks passed last week into Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked about the current state of health facilities in the Strip, Jasarevic said that hospitals were being either evacuated or destroyed by bombing, with no possibility of rebuilding until the fighting stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the latest emergency update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, within the course of just one week, patients and medical staff evacuated three hospitals in southern Gaza, \u201cin fear of intensified military activities that could render the health facilities non-functional or inaccessible\u201d.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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