Follow-up - INA
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday of a severe shortage of medical equipment that is preventing hospitals and health centers in Gaza from operating at full capacity, condemning the Israeli restrictions on the entry of these essential supplies.
The WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, Reinhild van de Werdt, said during a press conference in Geneva that 53% of hospitals and 58% of health centers are functioning, but only partially.
She added that this is largely due to "a severe shortage of medicines and medical equipment."
The UN official explained that "the problem" lies in the fact that some medical supplies are "classified by Israel as having dual use."
Van de Werdt stressed that "this must change. We are talking about internationally recognized medical supplies, and they must be treated as such," emphasizing the need to "lift the bureaucratic procedures and restrictions imposed on access to internationally recognized medicines and essential supplies."
The Organizationwarned that "without laboratory equipment and reagents, we cannot diagnose diseases or detect potential outbreaks" and "without oxygen concentrators, critically ill patients will die."
