"Gaza's health system is on its knees, collapsing," says WHO chief Tedros
Dec 10, 2023
Geneva [Switzerland], December 10 : World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the healthcare system in Gaza is "on its knees and collapsing" and expressed regret at the failure to pass a resolution in UN security council calling for a ceasefire, CNN reported on Sunday.
It reported that the WHO chief outlined that the impact of Israel's war on Gaza is 'catastrophic'.
"It's stating the obvious to say that the impact of the conflict on health is catastrophic," Tedros told an emergency WHO meeting held Sunday.
"Gaza's health system is on its knees and collapsing... The health system's capacity has been reduced to one-third of what it was," he said.
CNN reported quoting Tedros, that only 14 out of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are partially functional. As an example on the conditions, he also pointed out how two major hospitals in southern Gaza are operating at three times their bed capacity.
Overcrowding is creating the "ideal conditions" for the spread of the diseases, the top health official said, adding there are "worrying signs" of epidemic diseases, including jaundice and bloody diarrhoea.
Tedros said the WHO had convened on Sunday to discuss a resolution which, if adopted, would require him to carry out several tasks, including reporting on the public health implications of the crisis.
"I must be frank with you. These tasks are almost impossible in the current circumstances. It's for that reason that the Secretary-General last week invoked Article 99 of the United Nations Charter and called for a humanitarian ceasefire," Tedros said.
He said he "deeply" regretted that the UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire failed to be adopted after the United States vetoed it during a Friday vote.
While acknowledging that negotiations on the Security Council resolution were "difficult," the WHO Director-General reiterated his belief that a ceasefire is the "only way to truly protect and promote the health of the people of Gaza."
