Over 8,000 people in Gaza need medical evacuation: WHO

More than 8,000 people in the Gaza Strip need medical evacuation and the vast majority of them have war-related injuries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

“Medical referrals for critically injured and sick patients outside Gaza remain ad hoc and insufficient. An orderly, safe and sustained transfer of patients to Egypt and possibly to other locations via Egypt is needed,” Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in occupied Palestinian territories, told a press conference in Geneva via video link.

Peeperkorn said that 6,000 of those people who need referrals have war-related injuries, while 2,000 have other medical conditions.

Since the war began, he said that a total of 1,243 patients-790 injured and 445 ill-along with 1025 companions were sent abroad through Rafah.

“Egypt and many other countries have offered support to receive patients but a workable system is not in place for referrals,” he said. “Access for patients and health partners to resupply hospitals remains extremely challenging.”

Regarding WHO missions to northern Gaza, the representative said that in January, 15 missions were planned but only three of them were facilitated.

Peeperkorn added that four missions were impeded due to “unpassable routes,” while one was postponed and eight were denied.

On missions to the south, he said, of the 11 planned missions, four were facilitated, two postponed and two impeded due to “late checkpoint opening and excessive delays,” while three were denied.

“Lack of safety guarantees and humanitarian corridors in Gaza are making it increasingly challenging to safely and rapidly carry out humanitarian operations,” he said, adding: “Lack of sustained access to hospitals could dismantle the health system.”

Israel has killed more than 27,000 people in the Gaza Strip in response to the Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by Hamas, which took the lives of 1,200 people and took 240 as hostages.

The military onslaught has caused mass displacement and destruction and created conditions for famine.