WHO: No hospital in Gaza operating at full capacity - Sarmad

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of ongoing shortages of medicines and medical equipment in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that none of the sector’s hospitals are operating at full capacity despite the ongoing ceasefire and the influx of aid.

Rineke van der Vliet, the WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, stated that medical supply shipments destined for Gaza take an average of 74 days to obtain Israeli approvals. She stressed that these delays exacerbate the deterioration of health services and endanger patients’ lives.

She added that while approximately 87% of medicine shipments receive approval, medical equipment—including X-ray machines, sterilization devices, and computed tomography (CT) scanner spare parts—is repeatedly rejected, often without justification. Furthermore, more than 40% of essential diagnostic equipment has remained stranded at border crossings for six months.

The WHO called for the regular, adequate, and “unimpeded” entry of medicines and health equipment through multiple crossings, alongside the simplification of approval procedures. It noted that evaluating aid solely by the number of trucks or tons does not reflect whether priority medical needs are reaching the most vulnerable areas and populations.

Previously, the WHO reported that only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are operating partially, while critical shortages persist in essential medicines, diagnostic tools, equipment, and fuel.