The World Health Organization reports that northern Gaza is now devoid of a functional hospital, primarily due to a shortage of fuel, staff, and essential supplies.
“There are actually no functional hospitals left in the north,” Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in Gaza, tells reporters via video link from Jerusalem, according to Reuters news agency.
“Al-Ahli (Hospital) was the last one but it is now minimally functional.”
Hospitals and medical facilities in the region are grappling with the intense conflict, facing challenges such as shortages of supplies and power outages.
Following a visit to al-Ahli on Wednesday, teams from the WHO and the UN reported an overwhelming influx of people in need of emergency care. Tragically, bodies were arranged in rows in the courtyard.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a Wednesday post on X, stated that until two days ago, al-Ahli was the last facility performing surgery in northern Gaza. Regrettably, the operating theatres are now non-functional.
He added that only four hospitals remain in northern Gaza, offering very limited care.