Horrific killing of aid workers highlights dangers in Gaza: WHO chief

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is giving a press conference about the killing of aid workers in Gaza.

He begins by praising colleagues for their service in Gaza and for putting themselves in harm’s way to help others.

“WHO has been working with World Central Kitchen in Gaza to deliver food to health workers and patients in hospitals,” he says.

Tedros adds that the “horrific” killing of the aid workers highlights “the extreme danger” under which humanitarians operate in Gaza.

“We can only do so with safe access,” he says. “This means an effective and transparent mechanism for deconfliction must be put in place to ensure humanitarian convoys can move safely.”

Tedros calls for more entry points including in northern Gaza, and stresses the importance of cleared roads and predictable and expedited passage through checkpoints.

“Delays and denials of humanitarian missions not only prevent us from reaching those in need, but also impact other operations and deliveries by diverting scarce resources,” he says.

The WHO chief also comments on the destruction at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City following the Israeli army’s two-week raid:

He said he is “appalled” that the facility has been put out of action and that much of it has been badly damaged or destroyed.

“Over the last few days, WHO’s team in Gaza has been seeking permission to access what is left of the hospital, to speak with staff and to see what can be saved,” Tedros added. “But at the moment the situations looks disastrous.”

Al-Shifa was the largest hospital and main referral centre in the Gaza Strip, with 750 beds, 26 operating rooms, 32 intensive rooms, a dialysis department and a central laboratory.

Tedros reiterated his call for hospitals in Gaza to be “respected and protected” and “not be used as battlefields”.

Tedros concludes his remarks on Gaza by listing that since the start of the war, the WHO has verified 906 attacks on healthcare in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon resulting in 736 deaths and 1,014 injuries.

“Only 10 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are still able to function even partially. WHO will continue to support those hospitals to deliver services as best they can,” he said, noting that there is currently “a very high burden” of respiratory and skin infections, among others.

Commenting that Sunday will mark six months of war, Tedros said that the WHO welcomed last week’s UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire and called for its “immediate implementation”.

“Once again, we call for all hostages to be released and for lasting peace,” he added.

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