“According to a recent report by UN Women, six months into the ongoing conflict, 10,000 women in Gaza have lost their lives, including approximately 6,000 mothers, resulting in 19,000 children being left without parents. The report also highlights that over one million women and girls in Gaza are facing severe shortages of food, clean water, latrines, washrooms, and sanitary products, with disease outbreaks becoming more prevalent amid these dire living conditions.”
In line with these findings, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is crucial for the restoration of hospitals, particularly Al Shifa, which has been nearly destroyed following a recent Israeli military operation. WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic stated, “The management is attempting to clean the emergency department, but the scale of work required is immense, making it challenging to even secure basic supplies.” This statement followed a new mission by the UN health agency to the ravaged medical facility in Gaza City on Monday.
With only one-third of Gaza’s 36 hospitals currently operational, Mr. Jasarevic emphasized the importance of “preserving what remains” of the region’s healthcare system. The local authorities report that over 76,000 individuals have been injured, and various UN agencies have consistently raised alarms about surgeries being performed without anesthesia, including amputations and C-sections.
“We are reiterating our appeal for the deconfliction mechanism to function effectively, transparently, and operationally,” added the WHO representative, referring to the approval system intended to keep humanitarian aid convoys safe from conflict-related attacks. Concerns regarding this protocol have been heightened following the deaths of seven aid workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen during Israeli airstrikes on April 1. Mr. Jasarevic noted that “more than half” of the WHO missions planned between last October and the end of March have faced delays, denials, or other hindrances, underscoring the urgent need for access to the region.
In terms of medical supplies, a lack of staff, needles, stitches, and other crucial equipment means that “injured children often suffer in pain,” according to Tess Ingram, a communication specialist with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). From Cairo, Ms. Ingram shared insights from her recent mission to northern Gaza, where her UN vehicle was attacked. She reported the alarming number of young victims injured during the intense Israeli bombardments that followed Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on October 7.
“Imagine being subjected to a strip search and interrogation for hours, assured of your safety, only to leave and find yourself shot at, your father killed, and sustaining severe injuries that necessitate reconstructive surgery,” recounted a 14-year-old boy named Younis, who she met at a field hospital.
Ms. Ingram also pointed out the significant challenges in evacuating critically injured or ill patients for treatment outside of Gaza, noting that less than half of the “medivac” requests have been approved. This has allowed approximately 4,500 individuals—predominantly children—to leave Gaza, at a pace of fewer than 20 evacuations per day.
In a related plea, UN human rights chief Volker Türk called on “all states with influence” to address the “increasingly horrific human rights and humanitarian crisis” developing in Gaza. He stated, “Israel continues to impose unlawful restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and engages in extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure,” while reiterating calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages.
Concerns have also escalated regarding violence in the West Bank, with Mr. Türk expressing alarm over recent attacks against Palestinians by large groups of Israeli settlers, often with the support of Israeli Security Forces (ISF). Following the death of a 14-year-old Israeli boy from a settler family, retaliation resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians, including a child, and extensive property damage, as reported by the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Citing information from his office, Mr. Türk detailed that armed settlers and Israeli forces had entered several towns, including Al Mughayyer, Beitin village in Ramallah, Duma, and Qusra in Nablus, along with areas in Bethlehem and Hebron. He reported that many Palestinians were injured in the ensuing chaos, with hundreds of homes and vehicles set ablaze. He urged both Palestinians and Israelis to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
Additionally, in a development in Geneva, the leader of a UN-appointed independent rights investigation into the Occupied Palestinian Territory expressed grave concerns about the potential for military escalation between Israel and Iran, which could trigger a broader regional conflict. Navi Pillay, during a briefing to Arab League states following Iran’s missile strike against Israel, emphasized the unprecedented scale of warfare that Israel has sustained.
According to Gaza’s health authority, more than 33,200 deaths have occurred, with nearly 40 percent of schools directly affected by attacks, and 1.7 million people displaced within the enclave. Pillay remarked, “The complete siege on Gaza since October 2023 has led to an unimaginable humanitarian crisis, with famine and starvation now a reality for its inhabitants,” noting the destruction of roads and infrastructure has severely hindered the ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver aid.
