The UN agency describes the situation as “beyond catastrophic”, with patients begging for food and water.
Northern Gaza is left without a functioning hospital due to a lack of fuel, staff and supplies, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, as Israel targeted medical facilities.
The UN health agency said on Thursday it had carried out missions to two badly damaged hospitals, al-Shifa and Ahli, in the north of the enclave.
He described “unbearable” scenes of largely abandoned patients begging for food and water.
“Our staff lack words to describe the catastrophic situation facing patients and remaining health workers,” said Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory.
According to the WHO, only nine out of 36 health facilities were partially functional across Gaza. All of these facilities are concentrated in southern Gaza.
“There are actually no functioning hospitals left in the north,” Peeperkorn told reporters via video link from Jerusalem.
Describing Ahli Arab Hospital as a “shell of a hospital,” Peeperkorn said it was like a hospice providing very limited care. About 10 employees, all young doctors and nurses, continue to provide basic first aid, pain management and wound care with meager resources, he said.
“Until two days ago, it was the only hospital where the wounded could undergo surgery in northern Gaza and it was overwhelmed with patients requiring emergency care,” he said.
“There are no more operating theaters due to lack of fuel, electricity, medical supplies and health personnel, including surgeons and other specialists. »
The bodies of victims of recent Israeli attacks were lined up in the hospital courtyard because they could not be buried in safe and dignified conditions, he explained.
“Stop the bloodshed”
In addition to the Ahli Arab Hospital, northern Gaza had only three other minimally functioning health facilities: al-Shifa, al-Awda and the Assahaba Medical Complex, which Peeperkorn said housed thousands of displaced people .
Some Ahli patients had been waiting for surgery for weeks or, if they had surgery, were at risk of post-operative infection due to lack of antibiotics and other medications, he added.
“All of these patients cannot move and need to be urgently transferred to have any chance of survival,” he said, reiterating WHO’s call for a humanitarian ceasefire.
“This is necessary now to reinforce and resupply remaining health facilities, provide necessary medical services to thousands of injured and those in need of other essential care and, above all, to end the bloodshed and death. »
Peeperkorn made the comments as increasingly frantic diplomatic efforts are underway to secure another pause in the war, which has already killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, 70 percent of them women and children.
The grim milestone was reached on Wednesday when the UN Security Council postponed for the third time a key vote on a draft resolution aimed at boosting humanitarian aid to Gaza to avoid a US veto, who traditionally protect their ally Israel from UN action.
The council is expected to vote Thursday on a pause in hostilities and the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.
