Thousands of patients in the Gaza Strip who need urgent treatment are awaiting medical evacuation. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the situation on Friday.
Last week, WHO supported the evacuation of 106 patients from the area through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. Nineteen of the patients were children, and 132 caregivers accompanied them during the evacuations.
13,237 patients have been evacuated from Gaza since October 2023
According to information provided by Tedros, 13,237 patients, including 6,276 children, have been evacuated from Gaza since October 2023. The number of caregivers who accompanied the evacuated patients reached 16,406.
Tedros said medical evacuations give people in need of urgent care a chance to survive and called for continuous access through multiple crossing routes so that patients can receive timely treatment.
Attacks increased displacement
Ongoing attacks in Gaza have displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Some of them have sought shelter in temporary shelters and tents across the area.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,000 injured since the U.S.-mediated ceasefire.
The reported toll in Gaza since October 2023 is more than 73,400 Palestinians killed and more than 174,400 injured.