World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on the 7th that Israel's blockade has plunged Gaza residents into hunger and disease, and the international community should continue to provide humanitarian aid such as food and medical supplies.
At a press conference, he said that malnutrition is currently widespread, and the number of deaths due to hunger is also rising.
He stated: "In July, nearly 12,000 children under five years old in Gaza were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, the highest monthly figure on record."
Moreover, due to overcrowding and deteriorating water and sanitation conditions, the spread of disease in Gaza has seriously affected the health of infants and young children, with suspected cases of meningitis and other diseases rising significantly in July.
Tedros said: "People are dying not only from hunger and disease but also from desperately searching for food. Since May 27, more than 1,600 people have died while trying to collect food from aid distribution points, and nearly 12,000 have been injured."
He pointed out that the "desperate situation" in Gaza has caused the collapse of local law and order, forcing humanitarian operations to be carried out under dangerous conditions. Since the outbreak of the latest round of the Israel-Palestine conflict in October 2023, the WHO has helped evacuate 7,522 patients from Gaza, but over 14,800 patients there still urgently need specialized medical treatment.
Tedros called on the international community to expand, sustain, and unimpededly provide humanitarian aid such as food and medical care in accordance with international humanitarian law, and to establish humanitarian corridors to evacuate those in urgent need of medical treatment from Gaza.
On July 29, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, and the United Nations Children's Fund issued a joint statement warning that as key food and nutrition indicators continue to deteriorate, Gaza is facing the risk of full-scale famine.