"Chronic Shortage".. WHO Condemns Delay in Aid Entry to Gaza

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The World Health Organization said on Friday that the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza through Israel is experiencing "delays one after another," condemning the "chronic shortage" of medical supplies.

The WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, Reinhelde van de Vird, stated that the health situation in the Gaza Strip "remains extremely catastrophic," while none of its hospitals are operating at full capacity.

She told reporters in Geneva in remarks made from Jerusalem, "Insufficient amounts of humanitarian aid are entering Gaza, and certainly not enough to effectively expand and restore health services."

She pointed out that the Israeli approval system for the entry of medical supplies and other humanitarian aid poses a major obstacle.

She said, "It is a tedious process that takes a long time with no guaranteed results."

According to the latest analyses from the World Health Organization, large quantities of medical supplies have been waiting for permission to enter for an average of 74 days, Van de Virdt said, adding that if this does not happen, "we start this long and complicated process all over again."

She explained that the approval system is constantly changing with new rules being introduced.

Israel claims it prevents the entry of materials that may have military uses, while Hamas is accused of planning new acts of violence following the unprecedented attack it launched on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

Van de Virdt pointed out that commonly used essential medical supplies in the world are recording the lowest approval rates, while "X-ray machines, sterilization equipment, and spare parts needed for CT scanners and other essential equipment are repeatedly rejected."

"In just the past six months alone, a shipment of prosthetics and assistive devices has been rejected four separate times," she said.

However, she noted that the entry of medications is proceeding "relatively well," with nearly 87% approved and only 1% rejected.

She continued, "It's not just one barrier, but a whole system where delays follow one another, and behind every delay is a patient waiting."

She stated, "We need humanitarian and health supplies to enter Gaza without obstacles, regularly, and in large quantities."

She hoped that "Israel would at least ease the restrictions on medical supplies."

Van de Velde called for the opening of more crossings into the Gaza Strip and for providing "clear and announced guidelines" regarding procedures and requirements.

She added that success should not be measured by the number of trucks crossing the border, explaining that this "does not reflect much about whether the actual health needs of the population are being met or not."

In this regard, she stated that "a truck loaded with non-priority supplies, or the arrival of appropriate supplies too late, does not save lives."

The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to a count by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli figures.

In contrast, the war launched by Israel on Gaza in response to the attack has resulted in the deaths of more than 74,000 people, according to the health ministry run by Hamas in Gaza, which the United Nations considers its data reliable.