‘Unimaginable’

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a stark warning about the health sector in Gaza, describing the situation as “unimaginable.”

He expressed deep concern over the reports of ongoing hostilities and heavy bombardment in the region.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recounted a recent visit by the WHO team to Nassar Medical Hospital in the south of Gaza, revealing that the facility was overcrowded, with 1,000 patients—three times over its capacity.

He highlighted the distressing conditions, stating that patients were receiving care on the floor, and the facility was filled to every corner with people seeking shelter.

“The conditions are beyond inadequate – unimaginable for the provision of health care. I cannot find words strong enough to express our concern over what we’re witnessing,” Tedros said yesterday on X, formerly Twitter, demanding a “Ceasefire. NOW.”

The Israeli army had resumed bombing the Gaza Strip after a week-long humanitarian pause, leading to a resurgence of hostilities with the Palestinian group Hamas.

The toll of the Israeli aggression on Gaza is devastating, with more than 15,200 Palestinians, predominantly children and women, reported killed since October 7.

The WHO chief’s plea for a ceasefire underscores the pressing need for international intervention to mitigate the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

In a new estimate, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said around 1.8 million people in Gaza, roughly 75 percent of the population, had been displaced, many to overcrowded and unsanitary shelters.

Nasser hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis overflowed with both the wounded and the dead, reports AFP.