The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Thursday the delivery of its first medical aid convoy into Gaza since March 2, describing the shipment as “a drop in the ocean” given the scale of urgent medical needs in the region.
Nine truckloads of essential medical supplies, including 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 units of plasma, arrived at the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel on Wednesday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the supplies would be distributed in the coming days to hospitals across Gaza, prioritising those facing critical shortages due to the ongoing conflict and increasing casualties.
Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza starting March 2. While some food aid has been permitted since late May, this shipment marked the first medical delivery after more than two months of restrictions.
Tedros praised the safe passage of the convoy despite the high-risk conditions, emphasising the need for sustained and unimpeded health aid. “These supplies will be distributed to priority hospitals in the coming days,” he said, noting the blood and plasma were stored at Nasser Medical Complex before distribution.
Recent WHO reports indicate that only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain at least partially operational, with the rest unable to function amid escalating medical emergencies. Additional WHO trucks are still waiting at the crossing, with more shipments en route.
The delivery comes during ongoing Israeli military operations aimed at Hamas, whose October 2023 attacks on Israel ignited the current war. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with aid distribution hampered by security challenges and reports of Israeli forces firing at civilians waiting for rations.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by the US and Israel, started food distributions on May 26 but has faced criticism and rejection from UN and major aid agencies concerned over its opaque funding and alleged military alignment.
