UN Warns of Health Crisis in Gaza

A United Nations report states that mass displacement in Gaza has a severe impact on public health, as overcrowding, lack of adequate shelter, and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions increase the risk of infectious diseases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that overcrowding also heightens the risk of mass casualties in attacks on populated areas. Concurrently, the UN agency warned that the number of patients needing medical evacuation outside Gaza is expected to rise due to ongoing aggression and the deteriorating capacity of the health system. 

The organization continues to advocate for the establishment of multiple medical evacuation corridors out of Gaza to ensure the safe passage of patients through all possible routes, including the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that shelling and hostilities continue to kill, injure, and displace Palestinians, in addition to damaging and destroying essential infrastructure.

According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, in the past 48 hours alone, three schools sheltering displaced persons in Gaza City were reported hit, resulting in dozens of casualties.

A new analysis by the United Nations Satellite Centre indicates that even before this past month, 63% of buildings in Gaza had sustained damage. The occupying forces have issued new evacuation orders for residents living in areas south of Khan Yunis and north of Rafah, directing them to move westward to Al Mawasi immediately.