Gaza is experiencing a health catastrophe that will last for generations to come, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a massive increase in aid is needed to begin addressing the complex needs of the Strip's population.
Israel has allowed more medical supplies and other aid to cross into Gaza since a ceasefire with Hamas took effect on 10 October, but Dr. Tedros stated that levels are below those required to rebuild the territory's healthcare system.
His comments come as the US attempts to shore up the ceasefire it helped to broker, following an outbreak of violence over the weekend.
If you take the famine and combine it with a mental health problem which we see is rampant, then the situation is a crisis for generations to come, he said.
Dr. Tedros highlighted the overwhelming injuries, restricted access to humanitarian aid, and devastated water and sanitation infrastructure as part of the tragic combination leading to this dire situation.
Despite recent efforts, he stressed that the aid coming into Gaza is insufficient, revealing that only 200 to 300 aid lorries are currently arriving daily instead of the needed 600. He has urged Israeli authorities to allow quicker access for humanitarian assistance.
On the ground, thousands of Palestinians are waiting for medical evacuations, and Dr. Tedros called for an increase in evacuation flights, warning about the critical need for sufficient medical care.
You can’t have a scaled-up response without those who can deliver on the ground, he remarked, urging for full restoration of all access points controlled by Israel.
Overall, the situation in Gaza continues to raise alarms globally, with ongoing calls for support to rebuild not just the physical infrastructure, but also the community's health system and morale.
