The World Health Organization has warned that repeated delays in bringing medical supplies into Gaza could have devastating consequences for patients. The agency says medicines, prosthetics and assistive devices are urgently needed, while approval and entry procedures continue to hold up shipments.
Crossings and delayed deliveries
WHO representative in Palestine Reinhilde Van De Weerdt said approved aid can enter Gaza only through Kerem Shalom, while Rafah is open for limited movement of people, including patients travelling abroad for treatment. Four other main entry points remain closed, according to the WHO. Van De Weerdt said one shipment of prosthetics and assistive devices had been rejected four times in six months.
She said medicines generally move more easily, with nearly 87 percent approved and just over 1 percent rejected, but stressed that a shipment arriving too late may not save a patient’s life. The WHO is calling for predictable, unimpeded entry at scale and a system that uses multiple crossings.
Winter adds urgency
The agency says nearly two million people need shelter from cold weather and flooding. Unsafe shelter and poor access to clean water increase the risk of preventable disease. Public health monitoring is also weakened by damaged laboratories and shortages of equipment, fuel and spare parts.
The WHO’s warning focuses on timing as well as volume: patients need the right supplies to reach hospitals and clinics before their conditions worsen.
