WHO EMRO - Information resources

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In the occupied Palestinian territory, where a 16-year blockade has left the Gaza Strip’s health system severely under-resourced, escalating hostilities with Israel that began on 7 October 2023 are compounding an already dire situation. Power outages and shortages of medicines and health supplies in Gaza Strip hospitals are hindering the delivery of life-saving medical care. Attacks on health care have been recorded by WHO, resulting in deaths and injuries of health workers and affecting health facilities and ambulances. As the situation evolves, there is an urgent need to establish a humanitarian corridor for unimpeded, life-saving patient referrals and movement of humanitarian personnel and essential health supplies.

Gaza emergency situation reports

Gaza polio situation reports

This report is produced as part of WHO’s Right to Health programme in the occupied Palestinian territory, which focuses on monitoring and documentation of barriers to the right to health for Palestinians; capacity-building for strengthening the right to health and a human rights-based approach to health; as well as advocacy towards ending barriers and violations of the right to health. The purpose of the report is to provide analysis of data collected through monitoring, to support evidence-based advocacy to strengthen respect, protection, and fulfilment of the right to health in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The data and analysis included in the report builds on previous annual reporting (see more recent years: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014–2015); WHO monthly access reporting; and WHO health attacks monitoring. Further information resources for the right to health produced by WHO in the occupied Palestinian territory can be found online.

This report specifically analyses data on barriers to the right to health for Palestinians in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip for 2019 to 2021, with additional retrospective analyses to demonstrate longer-term trends and structural limitations. It focuses on:

Right to Health Barriers to health and attacks on health care in the occupied Palestinian territory

Download the report

Palestinian Voices 2022-2023

WHO continues to document attacks on health care and the impact of barriers to health access on the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank and attacks on health care.

Palestinian voices 2022-2023 highlights some of the cases documented.

Videos

Zaina, 10, unable to access cancer treatment

February 2022

Zaina is a 10-year-old girl from the Gaza Strip, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June 2020.
After her initial diagnosis, Zaina received chemotherapy at Rantisi Hospital in the Gaza Strip. It was a difficult time for Zaina and her family.

Gaza child dies following repeated permit delays by Israel

March 2022

Fatma Al-Masri was a 19-month-old girl from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. She died on 25 March 2022 after she was delayed access to lifesaving cardiac surgery for nearly three months. Fatma was born with a congenital heart condition known as an atrial septal defect. She needed curative surgery at Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem and was required by Israel to obtain a permit to reach her hospital appointment.

Ameer, had cancer in his eyes. Now he needs treatment

July 2021

Three-year-old Ameer is a refugee living in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. In August 2019, he was diagnosed with a cancer in his right eye called a retinoblastoma. He had surgery outside the Gaza Strip at the time to remove the cancer, and received an ocular prosthesis – a custom-made ball that fits the socket to keep the shape of the eye. In January 2020, the cancer was found to have spread to Ameer’s left eye, and he had further surgery.

“I’m a photographer, so my work depends on my sight.”

August 2021

Tamer is a 39-year-old photojournalist from Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, working for the Associated Press (AP). His sight has been deteriorating since he was diagnosed with a congenital eye condition in 2017. Tamer has required extensive treatments and investigations, not all available in the Gaza Strip.