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WHO appalled by latest attack on Indonesian Hospital in Gaza
20 November 2023 — WHO is appalled by the attack today on the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza, which reportedly resulted
in the killing of at least 12 persons including patients and their companions residing at the hospital. According to reports, tens of people were also injured in the attack, including some with critical and life-threatening injuries. Health workers and civilians should never have to be exposed to such horror, and especially while inside a hospital.
According to the latest reports, the Indonesian Hospital continues to be besieged. No one has been allowed to enter or leave the hospital: there have been reports of shooting towards those attempting to leave but no injuries or fatalities thus far. The hospital, like others in northern Gaza and Gaza City, has faced power outages since the main and secondary generators stopped functioning several weeks ago due to lack of fuel; it also faces severe shortages of water, essential medicines and supplies. The hospital is only able to provide basic services, putting the lives of those with severe injuries and other medical emergencies at immediate risk.
There have been multiple and ongoing attacks on health facilities in the last six weeks, that have resulted in forced mass evacuations from hospitals, and multiple fatalities and casualties among patients, their companions, and those who had sought refuge in hospitals. The Indonesian Hospital had already reportedly sustained damages due to at least five attacks since 7 October.
WHO has recorded 335 attacks on health care in the occupied Palestinian territory since 7 October, including 164 attacks in the Gaza Strip and 171 attacks in the West Bank. There were also 33 attacks on health care in Israel during the violent events of October 7.
As a result of these attacks and shortages of fuel, medicines, and safe water, and other essential resources, hospital bed capacity in Gaza has gone down from 3500 beds before 7 October to 1400 beds, leaving critical gaps for patients with injuries and other illness that require hospitalization.
The world cannot stand silent while these hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair.
WHO reminds the parties to the conflict of their obligation under International Humanitarian Law to respect the sanctity of, and actively protect, health facilities.
Health care is not a target. #NotATarget
WHO-led joint UN and Red Crescent mission evacuates 31 infants from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza
19 November 2023, Geneva/Cairo – A second WHO-led joint UN mission, working in collaboration with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, earlier today evacuated 31 babies from Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, to a hospital in southern Gaza. The severely ill babies were transported in 6 ambulances supplied and staffed by the Palestine Red Crescent. Other mission members included UN Mine Action, UNICEF and UNRWA. The mission was once again assessed as high-risk, due to the active combat taking place in close proximity to the hospital.
These premature and low birthweight babies had earlier been moved from the neonatal unit in Al-Shifa to a safer area in the hospital, due to lack of electricity to run their life support, and security risks in the hospital. Yesterday and last night, two babies died before the evacuation could take place. (Note, there were 33 babies under care yesterday, according to a Ministry of Health update.
The babies were successfully transported to the neonatal intensive care unit at Al-Helal Al-Emarati Maternity Hospital in southern Gaza, where they are being assessed and stabilized. Doctors there say all the babies are fighting serious infections due to lack of medical supplies and impossibility to continue infection control measures in Al-Shifa Hospital. Eleven are in critical condition.
Sadly, none of the infants were accompanied by family members, as the Ministry of Health has only limited information, and is not currently able to find close family members. Six health workers and 10 of their family members, who had been sheltering at the hospital, were also evacuated.
The evacuation, which was requested by health workers and patients during the joint mission yesterday, became necessary as Al-Shifa Hospital is no longer able to function due to a lack of clean water, fuel, medical supplies, food, other essential items and the intense hostilities. WHO remains deeply concerned about the safety and health needs of patients and health workers who remain at Al-Shifa Hospital, and in the few partially functional hospitals in the north that face imminent closure.
Al-Shifa Hospital, previously the largest and most advanced referral hospital in Gaza, together with other hospitals, must be fully restored to provide urgently needed health services in Gaza.
Today’s mission was led by senior WHO staff, including a medical specialist and a doctor, and representatives from UNICEF, UNMAS and UNRWA as noted above. It included medical staff from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, along with their ambulances. WHO is grateful for their partnership, and the support of the rest of the UN, working together as One UN.
The complex and high-risk operation, occurring in an active conflict zone, follows an assessment mission yesterday, 18 November, which included public health experts, logistics specialists, and security staff from OCHA, UNDSS, UNMAS/UNOPS, UNRWA and WHO. Today’s mission was deconflicted with the Israel Defense Forces and with the defacto authorities.
There remain over 250 patients and 20 health workers at Al-Shifa, who all request immediate evacuation. Planning is on-going to evacuate the remaining patients, their families and the health care workers. Given the complex security and logistics constraints, these evacuations will take several days to complete. Priority will be given to the 22 dialysis patients and 50 patients with spinal injuries. WHO reaffirms its respect for the dedication, professionalism, humanity and courage of the health staff who have continued to care for their patients under unimaginably difficult conditions.
WHO reiterates its plea for collective efforts to bring an end to the hostilities and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. We call for an immediate ceasefire, the sustained flow of humanitarian assistance at scale, unhindered humanitarian access to all of those in need, the unconditional release of all hostages—many of whom have serious medical needs—and the cessation of attacks on health care and other vital infrastructure.
Attacks on health care in Gaza Strip unacceptable, says WHO
4 November 2023 — WHO condemns the attacks on 3 November near Al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, and the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza City and North Gaza governorates.
According to reports, at Al-Shifa Hospital, ambulances were evacuating critically injured and sick patients to hospitals in the south of the Gaza Strip when there was an attack at the entrance of the hospital. According to early reports, at least thirteen people were killed and more than 60 injured. The hospital infrastructure and one ambulance sustained damage. This was in addition to an earlier incident that had resulted in damage to another ambulance in the same convoy.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health had earlier sent an appeal for the safe passage of a convoy of ambulances carrying wounded and sick patients from the hospital, in an effort to reduce the strain on the hospital, which is already far exceeding its bed capacity while also sheltering thousands of displaced people.
Two further attacks were reported on the same day at Al-Quds Hospital, resulting in at least 21 injuries. An additional attack was reported near the Indonesian Hospital.
Attacks on health care, including the targeting of hospitals and restricting the delivery of essential aid such as medical supplies, fuel, and water, may amount to violations of International Humanitarian Law.
WHO reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing the urgent need to protect all health workers, patients, health transport, and health facilities.
Related links
WHO welcomes decision by Egypt to receive patients from Gaza Strip
WHO health supplies move towards Gaza
Joint statement by UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO on humanitarian supplies crossing into Gaza
Lifesaving WHO health supplies land in Egypt for people-in-need in Gaza
WHO pleads for immediate reversal of Gaza evacuation order to protect health and reduce suffering
Hospitals in the Gaza Strip at a breaking point, warns WHO
Risk of disease spread soars in Gaza as health facilities, water and sanitation systems disrupted
8 November 2023 – As deaths and injuries in Gaza continue to rise due to intensified hostilities, intense overcrowding and disrupted health, water, and sanitation systems pose an added danger: the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Some worrying trends are already emerging.
Lack of fuel has led to the shutting down of desalination plants, significantly increasing the risk of bacterial infections like diarrhea spreading as people consume contaminated water. Lack of fuel has also disrupted all solid waste collection, creating an environment conducive to the rapid and widespread proliferation of insects, rodents that can carry and transit diseases.
The situation is particularly concerning for almost 1.5 million displaced people across Gaza, especially those living in severely overcrowded shelters with poor access to hygiene facilities and safe water, increasing risk of infectious diseases transmission. UNRWA, WHO, and the Ministry of Health are scaling up a flexible disease surveillance system in many of these shelters and health facilities. The current disease trends are very concerning.
Since mid-October 2023, over 33,551 cases of diarrhea have been reported. Over half of these are among children under age five -- a significant increase compared to an average of 2000 cases monthly in children under five throughout 2021 and 2022. 8944 cases of scabies and lice, 1005 cases of chickenpox, 12635 cases of skin rash and 54,866 cases of upper respiratory infections have also been reported.
Disrupted routine vaccination activities, as well as lack of medicines for treating communicable diseases, further increase the risk of accelerated disease spread. This is compounded by incomplete coverage of the disease surveillance system, including early disease detection and response capacities. Limited internet connectivity and phone system functioning further constrains our ability to detect potential outbreaks early and respond effectively.
In health facilities, damaged water and sanitation systems, and dwindling cleaning supplies have made it almost impossible to maintain basic infection prevention and control measures. These developments substantially increase the risk of infections arising from trauma, surgery, wound care and childbirth. Immunosuppressed individuals, such as patients with cancer, are especially at risk of complicating infections. Insufficient personal protective equipment means that health care workers themselves can acquire and transmit infections while providing care to their patients. The management of medical waste at hospitals has been severely disrupted, further increasing exposure to hazardous materials and infection.
WHO calls for urgent, accelerated access for humanitarian aid – including fuel, water, food, and medical supplies – into and throughout the Gaza Strip. All parties to the conflict must abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health care. WHO calls for the unconditional release of all hostages and a humanitarian ceasefire to prevent further death and suffering.
Note to editors
Out of almost 1.5 million displaced people, nearly 725,000 are in 149 UNRWA facilities, 122,000 are sheltering in hospitals, churches, and other public buildings, and about 131,134 in 94 non-UNRWA schools and remainder in host families.
Thousands of people are also forced to seek safety and shelter in streets near hospitals, UN offices and public shelters, putting pressure on already overstretched facilities.
Prior to the escalation of hostilities, respiratory diseases were the sixth most common cause of death in the Gaza Strip. In 2022, almost 82,000 cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Gaza strip, resulting in over 400 deaths.
As people face food shortages, malnutrition, and impending colder weather, they will be even more susceptible to contracting diseases. This is especially concerning for the more than 50,000 pregnant women and approximately 337,000 children under the age of five currently in Gaza.
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Related links
Attacks on health care in Gaza Strip unacceptable, says WHO
WHO welcomes decision by Egypt to receive patients from Gaza Strip
WHO health supplies move towards Gaza
Joint statement by UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO on humanitarian supplies crossing into Gaza
Lifesaving WHO health supplies land in Egypt for people-in-need in Gaza
WHO pleads for immediate reversal of Gaza evacuation order to protect health and reduce suffering
Hospitals in the Gaza Strip at a breaking point, warns WHO
