12/21/2023–|Last updated: 12/21/202302:31 PM (Mecca time)
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned yesterday, Wednesday, of the spread of diseases and hunger in Gaza in light of the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression against the Strip since last October 7, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged Strip.
Ghebreyesus said, in a post on the
I am deeply concerned about the toxic mix of disease, hunger and lack of hygiene and sanitation that people are in #Gaza are facing right now.
Hunger weakens the body’s defenses and opens the door to disease.
Gaza is already experiencing soaring rates of infectious disease… pic.twitter.com/NVJdAt9KvZ— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 20, 2023
He explained that such diseases can be fatal for children suffering from malnutrition, especially in the absence of functioning health services, stressing the need for an immediate ceasefire.
Ghebreyesus’s statements come amid multiple calls from United Nations agencies to stop the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip, and to assist in relief efforts in Gaza.
The United Nations Food Program said yesterday that half of Gaza’s population is starving and often spend entire days without eating, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned of the lack of clean water in Gaza, which leads to the death of more children.
North Gaza is without functioning hospitals
The World Health Organization said today that the northern Gaza Strip no longer has hospitals capable of operating, in light of the lack of fuel, crews and supplies.
“There are no longer hospitals capable of operating in the north,” Richard Peppercorn, the organization’s representative in Gaza, told reporters via video link from Jerusalem.
He explained that Al-Ahli Hospital was the last, but it is now operating at a minimum.
Source : Tel Aviv Tribune + Reuters + Qatar News Agency (QNA)