“World Health”: The impact of the Gaza war extends to the health systems in neighboring countries

Geneva (agencies)

Hanan Balkhi, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean at the World Health Organization, announced yesterday that health care systems in countries neighboring the Gaza Strip are under pressure due to the evacuation of thousands of critically ill patients for treatment in these countries for complex injuries and diseases.
The organization reported that less than half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have been partially operational since May 30 due to the destruction of most of the medical infrastructure in the eight-month-long Israeli offensive.
Hanan Balkhi continued: “Egypt hosts a large number of patients, but there is a need for evacuation, treatment and support for at least seven thousand and more than 11 thousand patients in specialized hospitals.”
The organization said that it has not carried out any medical evacuations since May 7, after Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, and the closure of the crossing in the southern Gaza Strip has greatly affected the organization’s ability to deliver basic medical supplies to the Strip.