Thousands of Gaza patients await medical evacuation: WHO chief

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday that thousands of patients in the besieged Gaza Strip remain awaiting medical evacuation for urgent treatment, warning that sustained access through multiple crossing routes is essential to ensure timely care for those in critical condition.

The WHO chief said the agency last week supported the evacuation of 106 patients, including 19 children, through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, accompanied by 132 companions. Since October 2023, 13,237 patients — 6,276 of them children — have been evacuated alongside 16,406 companions, Tedros said on X.

"Medical evacuations give people in need of urgent care a chance of survival," Tedros said. He stressed that sustained access through multiple crossing routes is needed to ensure patients receive timely medical treatment, noting that the remaining stranded cases face life-threatening delays.

Humanitarian Toll

Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza have displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, many of whom have sought refuge in temporary shelters and tents across the Palestinian enclave. Since the US-brokered truce took effect, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Since October 2023, when Israel launched its war on the territory, more than 73,400 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,400 injured by relentless attacks targeting civilian infrastructure. The vast majority of strikes have hit non-military targets, according to local health authorities.