By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – World Health Organization on Friday expressed cautious optimism over the potentially major boost to aid relief in the devastated Gaza after reports that Israel’s security cabinet has given the green light to a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories said that “The target is to get between 500 and 600 trucks in per day over the coming weeks.”
He added that this would represent “a huge increase” from the 40 to 50 lorries reaching Gaza in recent months and be similar to the level of aid reaching Gaza before war erupted on 7 October 2023, drastically reducing relief deliveries.
Dr Rik described the ceasefire announcement as “a sign of hope” but warned that the challenge is massive and daunting, because of chronic and severe shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.
He said that plans are in place for deliveries to begin on Sunday:
“We have ordered temporary prefabricated clinics and hospitals which we will integrate into the existing facilities…integrating existing health facilities as part of that, to expand some needed bed capacity, address urgent health needs and health service delivery,” he added.
Humanitarians have warned that the crisis in Gaza for civilians has reached catastrophic levels.
Over 46,000 people have been killed, according to the authorities and more 110,000 have been injured often with life-changing injuries since the conflict began in October 2023.
Dr Peeperkorn said disease is spreading and the risk of famine remains high needs that it is critical to address, especially when over 12,000 patients a third of them children still await evacuation for specialized care.
But the pace of evacuations has been painfully slow.
According to the WHO 1,200 requests submitted between November and December 2024, only 29 were approved, a rate of j2.4 per cent.
WHO and other agencies have stressed the immediate need to provide food, water and medical supplies, but also fuel and spare parts for hospital generators.
WHO said that Gaza’s healthcare system has been shattered with only half of its 36 hospitals currently operational. Critical health infrastructure continues to be targeted.
The agency pointed out to 664 healthcare attacks since October that have caused deaths among civilians and medical workers, also damaging vital health facilities.
WHO aims to implement an ambitious 60-day emergency health response plan, once a ceasefire kicks in despite the dire conditions.
It includes scaling up existing health efforts, setting up temporary medical clinics and restoring essential healthcare services.
Efforts will focus on combating malnutrition, bolstering disease surveillance and providing medical supplies to areas that have been difficult to access until now.
According to WHO, more than $10 billion is required to restore Gaza’s shattered healthcare system, and substantial international support will be essential to avoid further loss of life and prevent a complete breakdown of the region’s health infrastructure.
There is also a pressing requirement for broader humanitarian aid in addition to addressing the immediate health needs.
Food, clean water and shelter are fundamental priorities, alongside other crucial medicines and medical equipment which remain in desperately short supply, it stressed.
The international agencies continue to work under difficult and dangerous conditions, hoping that the ceasefire will offer a lifeline to those trapped in the Gaza.
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