Mr President,
Excellencies,
Thank you for this opportunity to brief you on the health situation in Gaza.
2025 begins on a somber and deeply worrying note as fighting continues to intensify, and hope dwindles for Gazans who have been enduring this nightmare for fourteen months. Approximately 7% of the population has been killed or injured since October 2023, with over 25% of the 105,000 injured people suffering from life-changing injuries according to WHO estimates. Time and again, hospitals have become battlegrounds, rendering them out of service and depriving those in need of lifesaving care. The health sector is being systematically dismantled and pushed to the breaking point, its resilience tested amid dire shortages of medical supplies, equipment, and specialized staff.
Only 16 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza remain partially functional, with a total bed capacity of just 1,822—far below what is needed to address the overwhelming health crisis. Due to damage, attacks, and shortages, most hospitals can only provide basic care and lack the capacity for specialized treatment of chronic diseases and complex injuries, leading to increased suffering and deaths. Despite these challenges, the pace of medical evacuations remains extremely slow. Since October 2023, only 5,383 patients have been evacuated abroad for medical treatment with support from the WHO. Of these, only 436 have been evacuated since the closure of the Rafah crossing on 6 May 2024. Over 12,000 people still require medical evacuation. At the current rate, it would take 5–10 years to evacuate all these critically ill patients, including thousands of children.
Despite the challenging environment, WHO and partners are doing all they can to keep hospitals and health services operational. However, our ability to move aid is severely compromised. The entry of supplies into and across Gaza remains extremely slow due to restrictions, delays in the clearance of supplies entering the Strip, and obstacles to our missions within Gaza. In 2024, only 111 out of 279 (40%) WHO missions were facilitated, directly impacting our ability to safely and promptly resupply hospitals, transfer critical patients, and deploy medical emergency teams.
Since October 2023, almost every week WHO has repeatedly issued urgent calls to protect health workers and hospitals as per international humanitarian law —yet these calls remain unheard. Attacks on hospitals persist. To date, WHO has verified 654 attacks on health care facilities in Gaza, resulting in 886 fatalities and 1,349 injuries.
In North Gaza, which has been under siege for approximately 90 days, the health and humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. Only Al-Awda Hospital remains minimally functional and there are no primary health care facilities available in the area. The lack of health care poses a severe threat to the lives of thousands of Palestinians still in North Gaza.
Kamal Adwan Hospital, the main hospital, in North Gaza was put out of service following a raid last week and relentless attacks since October this year. WHO was consistently hindered in accessing the hospital during this period, with only 10 out of 21 missions partially facilitated. On 27 December, the hospital was emptied, majority of patients were forced to a nearby location, while critical patients were transferred to non-functional Indonesian hospital which lacks the necessary equipment and supplies to provide adequate care. WHO remains deeply concerned about Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital who was detained during the raid. We have lost contact with him since and call for his immediate release.
Reports indicate that key areas of the hospital were burnt and severely damaged during the raid, including the laboratory, surgical unit, engineering and maintenance department, operations theatre, and the medical store. WHO and partners' efforts over the last months to sustain the hospitals’ operations have been undone.
We call for urgent access to the hospital to assess the damage and determine if it can be restored. We also urge for facilitation to transfer the medical equipment from Kamal Adwan to Al-Awda and other hospitals in Gaza City.
At Indonesian Hospital, the situation continues to deteriorate. Although the hospital is out of service, seven patients, nine caregivers, and six health workers remain there. Today, the hospital reportedly received an order to evacuate and to provide a list of names and details of all those still inside. We urge that the hospital and its remaining patients, who are in a dangerous and active conflict zone, be protected. The hospital is already severely damaged, and further attacks will make it even harder to restore the facility.
Al-Awda, which is the last remaining minimally functional hospital in North Gaza, is struggling to stay open. Hostilities continue around the hospital, resulting in an influx of injuries. Thirty-seven in-patients remain inside. Food, water and fuel are depleting fast. The hospital has been without many essential medicines for more than 85 days. Access to the hospital is dangerous for patients in need due to hostilities nearby. Unfortunately, we have just received reports that Al-Awda too has been ordered to fully evacuate. With this the last health lifeline in North Gaza is at the risk of being severed.
WHO is planning a mission to Al-Awda, Kamal Adwan, and Indonesian Hospital for assessment. However, currently, no roads to Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda are accessible. We urge for access to be facilitated urgently and for evacuation orders to be rescinded.
As I close, I want to emphasize that despite the incomprehensible challenges, the health system of Gaza has not collapsed. It is deeply affected and bruised. But against all odds, health workers, WHO and partners have kept services going as much as possible. Al-Shifa and Nasser Medical Complex, which have been restored after being left in ruins following severe attacks, raids and destruction earlier this year are prime examples of the resilience of Gaza’s health system and the inspiring dedication of its health workers. This is nothing short of a feat and is a reason to be hopeful. It shows what can be achieved if health care is protected and peace is given a chance.
I want to remind that hospitals have special protection under international humanitarian law because of their life-saving function. While hospitals may, under specific and limited circumstances, lose their protected status, such use does not then absolve any party from its obligations to comply with all other relevant rules of international humanitarian law that are applicable when launching attacks on military objectives, including the principles of distinction, precautions in attack and proportionality. These remain fully applicable.
Lastly, I once again I repeat WHO’s call:
- to ensure urgently that hospitals in North Gaza can be supported to become functional again,
- for an expedited pace of medical evacuations and use of all corridors from Gaza to get patients out,
- for sustained access to hospitals,
- for increased flow of aid into and across Gaza
- and for an urgent and lasting ceasefire
