World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that thousands of patients in the Gaza Strip are awaiting medical evacuation for urgent treatment.
Last week, the WHO supported the evacuation of 106 patients through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. Nineteen of those evacuated were children, while 132 companions accompanied the patients.
More than 13,000 patients evacuated
According to Tedros, 13,237 patients, including 6,276 children, have been evacuated from Gaza since October 2023. A total of 16,406 companions accompanied them.
Tedros said medical evacuations give people in need of urgent care a chance to survive. The WHO director-general stressed that continuous access through multiple crossing routes is needed so that patients can receive timely treatment.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza
Ongoing attacks in Gaza have displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Some of those displaced have sought shelter in temporary shelters and tents across the area.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,000 injured since the U.S.-mediated ceasefire.
Since October 2023, more than 73,400 Palestinians have been killed and more than 174,400 injured in Gaza.