The World Health Organisation condemned the Israeli strikes on its staff residence and primary warehouse located in the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah on Monday.
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the chief of the UN health agency, the WHO’s staff residence in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, experienced three attacks today, alongside its central warehouse.
“The Israeli military entered the premises, compelling women and children to evacuate on foot towards Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza during ongoing conflict,” he stated, further noting that “male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint.”
Tedros announced that 32 staff members and their families from the World Health Organisation were evacuated to the agency’s office as soon as access was granted.
Simultaneously, two staff members from the World Health Organisation and two family members were taken into custody. According to reports, three individuals were subsequently released, but one staff member remains in detention.
“The World Health Organisation has called for the immediate release of its detained personnel and the safeguarding of all its staff,” he emphasised.
His remarks emerged as Deir el-Balah endured heavy shelling following an order from Israel’s military on Sunday, instructing residents to evacuate due to impending operations in a region that had not seen prior military activity.
“Tedros issued a stark warning regarding the recent evacuation order in Deir el-Balah, stating that it has impacted multiple WHO facilities, jeopardising operations in Gaza and exacerbating the already fragile health system.”
He emphasised that the central warehouse of the WHO, situated in Deir al Balah, was “within the evacuation zone and sustained damage yesterday (Sunday) due to an attack that triggered explosions and a fire inside.”
Tedros issued a warning, indicating that the situation was exacerbating an already critical crisis.
“The main warehouse is currently nonfunctional, and the majority of medical supplies in Gaza have been depleted. As a result, the World Health Organisation is facing significant
challenges in providing adequate support to hospitals, emergency medical teams, and health partners, all of whom are already critically low on medicines, fuel, and equipment,” he stated.
The head of the World Health Organisation announced that the agency is urgently appealing to its member states “to help ensure a sustained and regular flow of medical supplies into Gaza”.
“He stated that undermining the operations of the World Health Organisation, as the primary agency for health, is severely hampering the overall health response in Gaza.”
“A ceasefire is not only essential, but it has also been long awaited.”
