Published February 14,2024
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The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned that an Israeli navy offensive towards Rafah in southern Gaza would trigger an “unfathomable catastrophe” and push the enclave’s well being system nearer to the brink of collapse.
“Military activities in this area, this densely populated area, would be, of course, an unfathomable catastrophe… and would even further expand the humanitarian disaster beyond imagination,” stated Richard Peeperkorn, WHO consultant for Gaza and the West Bank.
More than a million Palestinians crammed into Rafah on the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt, the place many reside in tent camps and makeshift shelters after fleeing Israeli bombardments elsewhere in Gaza.
The Israeli navy says it desires to flush out Islamist militants from hideouts in Rafah and free hostages being held there after the Hamas rampage in Israel on Oct. 7, however has given no particulars of a proposed plan to evacuate civilians.
The United Nations stated that an Israeli offensive there might “lead to a slaughter.”
“It will also increase the burden on a completely overburdened… health system on its knees and increase the trauma burden and it would push the health system closer to the brink of collapse,” Peeperkorn stated.
Peeperkorn stated WHO’s capacity to distribute medical assist to Gaza was restricted as a result of a lot of its requests to ship provides had been denied.
He stated that solely 40% of WHO’s missions to northern Gaza had been authorised from November, and that this determine had dropped considerably since January.
“All of these missions have been denied, impeded, or postponed,” he stated, including it was “absurd” that solely 45% of WHO’s mission requests for southern Gaza had been granted.
Israel has beforehand denied blocking the entry of assist.
“Even when there is no ceasefire, humanitarian corridors should exist so that WHO, the U.N. can do their job,” Peeperkorn stated.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
