Over 16,500 Patients in Gaza Await Evacuation

More than 16,500 patients in Gaza are still waiting for medical evacuation as the territory’s healthcare system faces severe and ongoing collapse, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Rick Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in Palestine, said during a press briefing in Geneva that the health situation in Gaza remains far from recovery.

Only half of the enclave’s 36 hospitals are functioning, and even those operate only partially, relying on limited resources and heavily damaged infrastructure.

Since the start of the ceasefire, WHO efforts have enabled the reopening of 26 health service points and the establishment of eight new medical stations to help meet rising humanitarian needs. The organisation has also delivered 2,050 medical supply kits to Gaza, though the medicine shortage remains critical.

According to Peeperkorn, 343 out of 622 essential medicines held by the Palestinian Ministry of Health have now completely run out, placing thousands of patients at serious risk, particularly those with chronic illnesses, cancer, or severe injuries.

The WHO warned that without immediate medical evacuation and sustained humanitarian access, the lives of countless patients will remain in jeopardy.