WHO Chief Highlights Health Crisis and Aid Blockades in Gaza and Lebanon

GENEVA: The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, issued a stark warning about the deteriorating health conditions in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon, due to ongoing conflicts and the blocking of humanitarian aid. According to Kuwait News Agency, Ghebreyesus, during a press conference, emphasized the severe impact of the conflict on health facilities in northern Gaza, where the WHO has been largely unable to execute planned humanitarian missions. Out of 54 scheduled missions, only one was successfully carried out this month. He denounced the repeated targeting of Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir Al-Balah, highlighting the urgent need for adherence to international humanitarian law to protect healthcare institutions. The WHO chief also addressed the commencement of the second round of the polio vaccination campaign that began last Monday, targeting over 500,000 children. He stressed the critical goal of achieving a 90% vaccination rate among children t o curb the spread of polio and enhance immunity, alongside administering vitamin A doses. Further detailing the healthcare challenges, Ghebreyesus reported that since the onset of the conflict in Lebanon, 23 attacks on healthcare facilities have been documented, resulting in 72 deaths and 43 injuries among healthcare workers and patients. He noted that half of the primary healthcare centers in conflict zones are now non-operational, with six hospitals completely evacuated and another five partially evacuated due to intense bombardments and security concerns. Adding to the health crisis, the WHO chief warned about the potential outbreak of cholera in Lebanon, following the confirmation of a case. The ongoing violence has forced the suspension of the national oral cholera vaccination campaign initiated by the Lebanese Ministry of Health in August. WHO has since activated its cholera preparedness and response plan to aid in surveillance and to strengthen water and sanitation monitoring. Abdel Nasser Abou Baka r, WHO's representative in Lebanon, highlighted the elevated risk of cholera spread, particularly with the increasing displacement of persons from southern to northern Lebanon, many from areas not covered by the cholera vaccination. In his concluding remarks, Ghebreyesus stressed that the resolution to the health crises in Gaza and Lebanon hinges not just on securing humanitarian aid, but on achieving lasting peace in the region. He also praised the substantial pledges made to WHO during a conference in Berlin, which raised over one billion dollars, and underscored the importance of continued support at the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil.