The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated the total cost of rebuilding Gaza’s health system damaged by the Israeli and Hamas crisis at seven billions US dollars.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus who disclosed this during a Press Briefing on Thursday added that the organization’s is asking for US$ 45 million as its 60-day ceasefire plan.
The DG disclosed further that the ceasefire announced in Gaza two weeks ago is fragile and has been violated, but continues to hold, which is a great news for everyone.
He said WHO welcome the return of hostages, the release of prisoners, the cessation in violence and the increase in aid flows but added that the crisis is far from over and the needs are immense.
He revealed that more than 170 000 people have injuries in Gaza, including more than 5000 amputees, 3600 people with major burns and at least 42 000 people have injuries that require long-term rehabilitation.
Ghebreyesus said every month, 4000 women give birth in unsafe conditions. “Hunger and disease have not stopped, and children’s lives are still at risk. The destruction has been physical but also psychological.
“An estimated one million people need access to mental health care. The demands on the health system are huge, but significant parts of the system have been destroyed or badly degraded”.
He added, “There are no fully functioning hospitals in Gaza, and only 14 out of 36 are functioning at all. There are critical shortages of essential medicines, equipment and health workers.
“Since the ceasefire took effect, WHO has been sending more medical supplies to hospitals, deployed additional emergency medical teams, and scaling up medical evacuations.
The DG on behalf of WHO thanked more than 20 countries who have received medical evacuees from Gaza. “However, there are still 15 000 patients who need treatment outside Gaza, including 4000 children.
“More than 700 have died while waiting for evacuation. We continue to call for the restoration of referrals to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”, he said.
WHO called for more countries to receive patients from Gaza for specialized care; “And we call for the Rafah crossing – and all crossings, to be opened, to allow more patients to be treated in Egypt, and to enable the scale-up of aid.
While we are focusing on responding to today’s health needs on the ground, we are also working with partners to plan for the longer-term recovery and reconstruction of Gaza’s health system.
Over the next days and weeks, WHO will focus on four areas: First, maintaining life-saving and life-sustaining essential health services;
Second, strengthening public health intelligence, early warning, prevention, control of communicable diseases; Third, coordinating health partners; And fourth, supporting the recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the health system”.
According to him, “Today, that number has dropped by more than 99 percent – just 36 cases of wild poliovirus reported so far this year.
“A large part of this success is due to the leadership of Rotary International, who have been pathfinders for polio elimination.
“This week I had the opportunity to welcome partners from Rotary here at WHO, and to thank them for their partnership in bringing us so far.
“But we’re not done, and as long as polio exists anywhere, it’s threat everywhere. Decades ago, the world overcome geopolitical and geographic barriers to end smallpox. Let’s do same for polio. Let’s finish the job”, he concluded.