Gaza without food, medical aid

The WHO has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the delivery of food and medical aid.

Deliveries via air and sea were welcome but not enough to respond to the rising needs, says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He said that to prevent famine only the expansion of land crossings would allow large-scale aid deliveries.

The WHO chief further said that the global health body supported the set-up of two nutrition stabilisation centres – one at Kamal Adwan Hospital and other in Rafah – to treat children suffering severe acute malnutrition at risk of imminent death.

Ongoing fighting in and around hospitals, including al-Shifa, an obstacle for the UN agency to distribute supplies, he continued.

Tedros added that accessing al-Shifa is now impossible. There are reports of medical staff being detained at the hospital. He said that a planned mission to al-Shifa was cancelled due to a lack of security.

The WHO chief urged Israel to open more crossings and accelerate the delivery of food, water and other humanitarian aid.

He called for protecting the medical facilities and not militarizing them in Gaza.