GENEVA, Oct 24 — The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday said aid to Gaza is still only a “fraction of what’s needed” as the health agency attempts to rebuild the region’s healthcare system.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said while humanitarian deliveries were increasing, rebuilding Gaza’s medical infrastructure could likely cost at least US$7 billion (RM29.57 billion).
A ceasefire in Gaza is currently in force under a United States-brokered agreement. Palestinian health authorities peg the number of casualties in the Gaza Strip at more than 67,000 people, with nearly a third of the dead under the age of 18.
Tedros urged the reopening of the Palestine-Egypt border crossing in Rafah, where a significant amount of aid is currently stuck, ready to enter Gaza.
The rate of transfers slowed to a trickle when Israel seized control of the Rafah crossing and it was closed in May 2024. Fewer than four patients have exited Gaza daily since a previous ceasefire collapsed in March.
WHO said while the “food situation” in Gaza has improved slightly during the current ceasefire, significantly more effort is needed to reverse the crisis, with more than 600,000 people still facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
‘Dire’ outlook
The health agency said it sees a “dire” global funding outlook for next year and projected more than 14 million avoidable deaths worldwide as a result of the cuts.
The US quit the WHO earlier this year, citing the agency’s alleged mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
The exit of one of its top donors has created a multibillion-dollar funding gap in WHO’s 2026/2027 budget, forcing the agency to cut its proposed spending by 21 per cent.
