United Nations officials have expressed anger and disbelief regarding the dire situation in Gaza hospitals, where injured individuals lack basic supplies and children recovering from amputations are tragically losing their lives amidst the ongoing conflict.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that nearly three-quarters of Gaza’s hospitals, 27 out of 36, are non-operational due to damage from attacks, Israeli raids, and a shortage of fuel and staff. The few still open are functioning only partially and are under increasing pressure from both strikes and the growing influx of sick and injured patients.
James Elder, spokesperson for the UN Children’s agency, expressed fury, stating, “I’m furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals.” He highlighted that the Nasser Hospital, the largest operational hospital remaining in the enclave, had been shelled twice in the past 48 hours. One of the victims, he mentioned, was a 13-year-old amputee named Dina, who had survived a strike on her home that claimed her family.
Elder emphasised the lack of safety for children and families, asserting, “So where do children and families go? They’re not safe in hospitals, they’re not safe in shelters, and they’re certainly not safe in so-called safe zones.”
Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organisation, described the situation in Gaza hospitals as “unconscionable.” She noted that only about 30 percent of the 20,000 pre-conflict health staff are currently working due to deaths, injuries, and detentions.
“The very basics, they do not have them. One of my colleagues described people lying on the floor in severe pain, in agony but they weren’t asking for pain relief. They were asking for water.”
“It’s beyond belief that the world is allowing this to continue,” Harris said, expressing disbelief that the world is allowing such conditions to persist.
