WHO: More Than 6 Percent Of Gazans Died Or Injured In The Last Year

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JAKARTA - World Health Organization (WHO) officials revealed on Friday 4 October that more than six percent of Gaza's entire population had been killed or injured in line with nearly a year of Israel's brutal military campaign to destroy the Palestinian territories.

"It's been 12 months, and the conflict in Gaza continues to burn. More than 6 percent of the population has been killed or injured, while at least 10,000 people are still stuck under the rubble," Aydil Saparbekov, head of the WHO health emergency team in the Palestinian occupation area, told a news conference in Geneva., quoted from Antara.

Gaza's pre-war population was around 2.3 million.

The health system in Gaza "has been significantly paralyzed" due to repeated attacks, as well as supply shortages, medicines, fuels, and medical personnel, Saparbekov added.

He also mentioned that there had been at least 516 attacks on health facilities in Gaza, which resulted in 765 deaths, since October 7, 2023.

Only half of hospitals in Gaza operate in part, while only 43 percent of primary health centers function, he said.

"Hospitals that are still operating provide bed capacity of around 1,500, plus more than 650 beds in 10 operating field hospitals," he said, confirming that this figure is "far from sufficient to meet needs."

Referring to Palestinian Health Ministry data, he said about 1,000 health workers had died, "an irreplaceable loss and a major blow to the health system."

Saparbekov also stated that at least 24,090 people suffer life-changing injuries, without access to rehabilitation or special care.

Regarding mental health, he expressed concern about the impact of the conflict in Gaza, where more than 485,000 people had been diagnosed with mental disorders even before the war.

"Malnutrition is another big problem," he added, noting that 20,241 children have been treated for malnutrition, including 4,437 children with severe acute malnutrition, since January.

More than 96 percent of women and children aged 6-23 months did not get nutritional adequacy due to the lack of diversity in diet, according to the official.

Regarding the medical evacuation, he said that of the 15,600 cases requested, only 5,138 (32.9 percent) were approved.

"We urge that several medical evacuation corridors be formed to ensure safe, organized, and timely patient travel through all available routes," he said, adding that since the closing of the Rafah border in May, only 219 patients have been successfully evacuated.

He also mentioned WHO's commitment to operating in Gaza amid "extreme challenges."

Of the 214 missions planned since October 2023, only 44 percent can be facilitated.

"We have delivered fuel, medicine and supplies, helped restore hospitals, and deployed an emergency medical team to support Gaza's health system," he said.

"Together with partners, we have also vaccinated 560,000 children in the first round of the polio campaign."

On October 7, 2023, Israel launched an attack on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas that killed fewer than 1,200 people.

In a year since then, Israeli forces have killed nearly 41,800 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 97,000 others, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli attack has left nearly the entire population of Gaza displaced amid a continuing blockade, leading to a severe shortage of food, clean water, and medicines.

Israel is also facing genocide cases at the International Court regarding their actions in Gaza.