WHO More than 900 deaths due to delays in medical evacuations from Gaza

The health catastrophe in the Gaza Strip is worsening under the ongoing blockade and closure of crossings, leading to the deaths of hundreds of patients and preventing thousands more from receiving treatment.

The World Health Organization announced that more than 900 patients in Gaza have died due to delays in their medical evacuation for treatment outside the Strip, while some 16,500 patients are still awaiting approval to travel, including 4,000 children in urgent need of evacuation. The WHO warned that “any delay in critical cases is tantamount to a death sentence.”

The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called for the immediate opening of all crossings and the free movement of medical and humanitarian patients to and from Gaza, stressing that the closure and obstruction of patient transfers have led to a “collapse of the health situation and a worsening of critical cases.”

The organization noted that since May 2024, it has conducted approximately 119 evacuation missions, transporting more than 8,000 patients, including 5,500 children. Hospitals are currently operating at less than half their capacity due to severe shortages of medicines, fuel, and essential equipment.