Gaza, MINA – The World Health Organization (WHO) has facilitated the evacuation of nearly 8,000 patients from Gaza for life-saving medical treatment over the past two years, but thousands more remain stranded amid the collapse of the enclave’s health system, the agency’s chief said Wednesday.
“I am heartened by the commitment shown by countries to provide seriously injured and ill children and adults with urgent medical care outside of Gaza,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, as cited by Anadolu Agency.
According to Tedros, WHO’s medical evacuation program has supported the transfer of nearly 8,000 patients, including more than 5,500 children, for treatment abroad.
He expressed gratitude to the nations that “opened their arms and hospitals” to receive the wounded and ill but stressed that the humanitarian situation remains dire. “Over 16,500 people, including close to 4,000 children, are still awaiting evacuation as Gaza’s damaged health facilities cannot provide the needed care,” he said.
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Tedros added that with the current ceasefire in place, WHO is intensifying efforts to expand medical evacuations and coordinate treatment for critical cases outside Gaza.
He urged countries to continue accepting patients and called for the opening of “all evacuation routes, particularly to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” to ensure access to essential medical care.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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