The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered its first shipment of medical aid to Gaza since March, bringing much-needed relief to the region after months of blockade. On Thursday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on X that nine truckloads of essential medical supplies, including 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 units of plasma, had entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel.
“These supplies will be distributed to priority hospitals in the coming days,” Tedros stated. He emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that despite the delivery, the aid is “only a drop in the ocean” and called for “immediate, unimpeded, and sustained delivery of health aid into Gaza through all possible routes.”
Israel had imposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip on March 2, allowing only some food supplies after more than two months, but no other aid items until now. The recent shipment marks a critical step in addressing the escalating health crisis in Gaza.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported alarming outbreaks of waterborne diseases in the region. In the past two weeks, over 19,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea have been recorded, along with more than 200 cases each of acute jaundice syndrome and bloody diarrhea.
“These outbreaks are directly linked to the lack of clean water and sanitation in Gaza,” OCHA highlighted, underscoring the dire need for fuel, medical supplies, and water, sanitation, and hygiene items to prevent further collapse of the public health system.
OCHA stressed the importance of increasing the flow of humanitarian and essential commercial goods into Gaza through multiple crossings and ensuring their safe distribution across the strip. This, they believe, is essential not only to meet humanitarian needs but also to help reduce incidents of looting due to scarcity.
Tedros also mentioned that four additional WHO trucks are at the Kerem Shalom crossing, with more on the way to Gaza. As the region continues to face critical shortages amid a growing influx of injuries, many linked to incidents at food distribution sites, the need for continued and expanded aid is more pressing than ever.
