The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the Kamal Adwan hospital, the last major healthcare center in northern Gaza, has been put out of service following an assault on Friday by Israeli forces. This attack has caused severe damage to strategic areas of the hospital, including the laboratory and surgical unit, putting the lives of approximately 75,000 Palestinians living in the region at risk.
The hospital’s director, Dr. Abu Safiya, was detained during the raid, leading the WHO to lose contact with him since then. As a result of this crisis, several critical patients have been transferred to the Indonesian Hospital, a facility that is currently non-operational and lacks the necessary equipment to provide proper healthcare. The WHO has warned of the high risk involved in these transfers, which may further jeopardize the survival of the affected patients.
In order to ensure medical care for the injured, the WHO plans to carry out an urgent mission on Sunday to evacuate patients to southern Gaza, where they can receive care that is currently unavailable in the north. The organization has denounced the raid as part of a “systematic dismantling of the healthcare system,” evidenced by continuous attacks on healthcare workers and hospitals in the area.
Recent bombings near the hospital have resulted in a tragic death toll of 50 people in the last week, including five healthcare professionals. Despite the critical situation and increasing need for medical assistance, the WHO has faced difficulties in deploying humanitarian aid. Of the 21 missions requested between October and December, only 10 have been partially carried out. However, 45,000 liters of fuel, medical supplies, and food have been delivered, in addition to the transfer of 114 patients to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
The WHO has urged the international community to take urgent action to restore the functioning of hospitals in northern Gaza. Health facilities have once again become “battlefields,” recalling the devastating destruction the healthcare system suffered earlier this year. Since October 2023, the WHO has reiterated its calls to protect healthcare workers and facilities, based on international humanitarian law, but unfortunately, their pleas have gone unanswered. The organization emphasizes the urgent need to protect hospitals, personnel, and patients, ensuring they are not targeted or used for military purposes.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
