Geneva: Over 1,092 individuals have died in Gaza while awaiting medical evacuation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This alarming statistic was highlighted by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who urgently called for the restoration of evacuation processes from Gaza to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and to other countries.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Ghebreyesus noted in a social media post that since October 2023, WHO and its partners have managed to evacuate over 10,600 patients from Gaza, among them more than 5,600 children requiring critical advanced treatment. Despite these efforts, thousands remain stranded without access to essential medical care.
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic, speaking to reporters in Geneva, emphasized that more than 18,500 patients-including approximately 4,100 children-are still in need of urgent medical evacuation from Gaza. He also reported that at least 10 people have died due to heavy rains, which have exacerbated the risk of waterborne diseases, diarrhea, hepatitis, and respiratory infections due to inadequate water and sanitation facilities.
Additionally, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires confirmed the deaths of at least three children in Gaza from hypothermia in December, attributing the rise to freezing temperatures, floods, ongoing displacement, and insufficient medical support.