Gaza can't afford to lose single hospital bed: WHO

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• Dec 8, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a dire warning on Friday, emphasizing the critical state of Gaza's health infrastructure...

Digital Desk: The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a dire warning on Friday, emphasizing the critical state of Gaza's health infrastructure, pleading for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent further devastation. Christian Lindmeier, a WHO spokesperson, conveyed the alarming reality during a press briefing in Geneva, underscoring the profound distress facing Gaza.

"The situation is deteriorating beyond belief, literally," Lindmeier expressed, painting a bleak picture of Gaza's health system, which hangs precariously on the brink of collapse. "Gaza cannot afford to lose any more health facilities, ambulances, hospitals, or even a single hospital bed," he stressed.

Reports from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) unveiled a harrowing statistic: only 14 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are operational. The ongoing conflict, sparked by Hamas' attack on southern Israel, has led to a devastating toll. Israeli figures report approximately 1,200 casualties and 138 hostages taken by Hamas. In response, Israel's retaliatory measures have reportedly claimed the lives of 17,177 individuals, predominantly women and children, as per Gaza's health ministry.

Weeks of relentless fighting have reduced swathes of Gaza to desolation, displacing an alarming 80% of its population. Residents endure acute shortages of basic necessities—food, fuel, water, and medicine—with the looming threat of diseases compounding the crisis.

Lindmeier highlighted the grim reality faced by Gazans, where access to fundamental supplies like water has dwindled to a mere one to two liters per day, a scarcity not just for drinking but for all purposes. "Civilization is about to break down," he lamented, detailing how people resort to drastic measures like scavenging for firewood from telephone poles for warmth or cooking.

Efforts to deliver crucial medical supplies and evacuate patients were halted due to the volatile security situation, leaving health workers grappling with insufficient resources, including food and water. Lindmeier depicted scenes of horror within trauma wards, likening them to battlefields, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire.

"This callousness must end. We need a ceasefire, and we need it now," Lindmeier urged, echoing the impassioned plea for an immediate cessation of hostilities to avert an irreparable catastrophe in Gaza's already crippled health system.