WHO Director-General: Attack on North Gaza Hospital "Deeply Alarming"

WHO Director-General Tedros

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed on social media that, "Since the reports of the attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital this morning, we have lost contact with the staff there. Considering the number of patients receiving medical services and the people seeking refuge there, this development is deeply alarming."

The northern part of Gaza has been in the vortex of intense military operations, with thousands of civilians cutoff from humanitarian aid and protection, facing shortages of food and other necessities of life.

Patients and Displaced Persons

Dr. Tedros noted that Kamal Adwan Hospital was already packed with nearly 200 patients – many of whom were being admitted with terrible trauma cases. At the same time, hundreds of displaced individuals were also seeking shelter at the hospital.

The WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, expressed deep concern over the situation. He emphasized that hospitals should not be militarized.

Medical Aid Mission

The day before the raid, WHO and its partners managed to reach Kamal Adwan Hospital amidst the ongoing hostilities in the north. This complex mission lasted over 20 hours and involved two trucks loaded with supplies and fuel, as well as five ambulances.

The team transferred 23 patients and 26 healthcare workers to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. They also provided Kamal Adwan Hospital with 10,000 liters of fuel, 180 units of blood, and trauma and surgical supplies for 1,600 surgeries.

The hospital also received various medications to support approximately 5,000 patients, including intravenous fluids, anesthetics, antibiotics, and ancillary equipment for over 100 patients.

Damage and Chaos

Dr. Peeperkorn provided his firsthand account of the situation.

He said, "At a checkpoint near Kamal Adwan, thousands of women and children, with some personal belongings and tired bodies, were leaving the area for Salah al-Din and Gaza City."

He described the chaotic scene they saw at Kamal Adwan Hospital; during his last visit, the hospital had 75 to 100 patients.

He said, "Now, there are probably over 200 patients. The emergency room is overflowing, and we saw many patients being brought in, many of whom had suffered terrible trauma."