The World Health Organisation has said it has positioned health supplies in Egypt, ready to deliver to Gaza to meet critical health needs as soon as a humanitarian corridor through the Rafah crossing is established.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedro Ghebreyesus who disclosed this at the opening of World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany on Sunday, called on the Palestinian Militants group Hamas to release civilian hostages, and appealed to Israel to abide by obligations under international law to protect civilians and health facilities
Israel declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on Saturday.
The large-scale surprise assault has left at least 900 dead in Israel, prompted a lethal volley of retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that killed at least 687 people.
As they retreated into Gaza, the militants claimed to have taken at least 100 hostages with them and have threatened to kill them if airstrikes target Gaza without warning while Israel pledged that Hamas will pay a heavy price.
The DG said last week he was in Cairo, where he met with President El-Sisi, who agreed to facilitate the movement of health supplies into Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
Ghebreyesus stated clearly that last week’s attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians were unjustified, horrific and agreed that it was barbaric and should be condemned while expressed grave concern about Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians.
He said innocent civilians and children are paying the price, adding that asking 1.1 million people to move from north to south Gaza in such a short window will create a humanitarian tragedy.
According to him, “the forced evacuation of patients and health workers will further worsen the humanitarian and public health catastrophe. Critically ill patients; newborns in incubators; women with complications of pregnancy and others cannot be moved without serious risk to their lives”.
WHO Boss reiterated call for the restoration of electricity and water in Gaza, to allow the immediate, safe delivery of food, medical supplies, and other humanitarian aid.
“In our fractured and divided world, we must continue to seek common ground, and common good. The only solution is dialogue, understanding, compassion and peace.
“Those are exactly the conditions in which WHO was founded 75 years ago, when the nations of the world came together, in the wake of the horrors of the Second World War.
“The authors of the WHO Constitution recognized that the only way forward was across borders and ideologies, towards a common goal of a healthier world for all.
“Humanity faces so many health challenges now, from war to climate crisis; deepening poverty, growing hunger; rapidly depleting natural resources and natural disasters, and of course, global and regional disease outbreaks”, he said.
He recalled in 1948, a world reeling from war came together to found the World Health Organization, on the conviction not only that health is a fundamental human right, but also that health is fundamental to peace and security.
Ghebreyesus said, “Their conviction then must remain ours today. As we work together to promote, provide and protect the physical and mental health of individuals, communities, we are also working to heal our broken and hurting world”.