Dr. Richard Brennan, Director of the Emergency Program at the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, stated that the health situation in both Gaza and Sudan is catastrophic. In Gaza, only 13 out of 33 hospitals are operational, the healthcare system is deteriorating, and 60% of the health system in Sudan has collapsed. In both countries, there is an outbreak of diseases.
The WHO is unable to access aid in Gaza, where they are sending aid and fuel, assisting and evacuating patients in dire need of healthcare, playing a significant role in disease surveillance, and addressing the hepatitis A outbreak due to a lack of food and clean water. Additionally, there are outbreaks of measles, malaria, dengue fever, and cholera in Sudan, with the organization working to identify needs and aid.
Dr. Iyadel Sabarbiekov, Head of the WHO’s Emergency Health Team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, highlighted that 70 to 80% of the infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed. Cleaning the Palestinian territories from war contaminants and hazardous materials will take 12 years, and rebuilding infrastructure in Gaza could extend to 2092. With 70,000 injuries and 29,000 deaths in Gaza to date, the region faces food insecurity and disease outbreaks.
The lack of clean water in Gaza, insufficient supplies, and overcrowding in displacement locations are leading to widespread diarrheal diseases, with expectations of increased infectious diseases due to lack of vaccinations and the spread of measles and respiratory illnesses, raising mortality rates due to the absence of treatment and healthcare services.
