WHO warns health needs remain ‘immense’ amid fragile ceasefire

GENEVA

In Gaza, medical needs remain vastly outpacing available services despite a fragile ceasefire, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday, as access denials, supply shortages, and blocked routes hinder lifesaving care.

Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, told reporters in Geneva that "needs remain immense compared to health care availability," noting that only half of Gaza's 36 hospitals are partially functional. Just 82 of 194 primary health centers, around 41%, and 10 field hospitals are currently operating.

Seven hospitals lie beyond the ceasefire line, he said, including two facilities in Khan Younis, two in North Gaza, and three in Rafah. Two of those, Beit Hanoun and Kuwait Specialized Hospitals, have been destroyed, while the remaining five facilities remain inaccessible beyond the yellow line, Peeperkorn said.

Since the pause in fighting, 26 health service points have reopened, and eight new ones have been established. WHO is also repairing critical units, including the Pediatric and Neonatal ICUs at Rantisi Hospital, as part of efforts to expand neonatal care.

But the north remains acutely underserved.

"There are no functioning hospitals in North Gaza, where at least 20,000 people are estimated to be," the spokesperson said. He noted that WHO teams were denied access again on Friday while trying to reach Kamal Adwan Hospital to set up a new primary health center.

At Shifa Hospital, Peeperkorn said, the WHO is installing a desalination plant to support the territory's only hemodialysis unit. The unit currently treats 165 patients with 32 machines, four of which are out of service, with demand expected to reach 300.

Access restrictions continue to hinder care, including at the European Gaza Hospital, where the WHO is unable to retrieve and redistribute urgently needed cardiac equipment, according to the spokesperson.

Peeperkorn highlighted progress in treating malnutrition, noting that the WHO helped restore operations at Al-Kheir Hospital in Khan Younis and opened a new 20-bed stabilization center.

"There have been 825 admissions to SAM stabilization centers since January 2025, with zero mortalities reported since mid-October," he said.

"According to the Ministry of Health, 343 out of 622 essential drug items, 55%, are currently at zero-stock levels," he said regarding supply shortages, calling for all crossings and routes to open. Since the ceasefire, WHO has brought in 2,050 pallets of supplies, but internal movement is hampered by roadblocks and security concerns.

An 11-day immunization campaign vaccinated more than 13,700 children, according to the WHO, with further rounds planned. Screening during the campaign identified 508 acutely malnourished children.

Peeperkorn also called for accelerated medical evacuations, citing the fact that over 16,500 patients still require medical evacuation outside of the Gaza Strip, as well as increased international support and the opening of evacuation corridors, particularly to the West Bank.