WHO Reports Insufficient Aid and Persistent Hunger in Gaza Despite Ceasefire Agreement

The US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10.

In Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday that despite the ceasefire, there has been minimal improvement in aid delivery to Gaza and no noticeable reduction in hunger levels.

"The situation still remains catastrophic because what's entering is not enough," stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press briefing at the UN health agency's headquarters in Geneva.

Tedros emphasized that since the ceasefire began on October 10, there has been "no dent in hunger, because there is not enough food" reaching Gaza's population.

Throughout the war, Israel repeatedly restricted aid to the Gaza Strip, worsening the humanitarian crisis. The United Nations has reported that these restrictions led to famine conditions in parts of the Palestinian territory.

Although the agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump stipulates the entry of 600 trucks daily, Tedros revealed that only between 200 and 300 trucks are currently entering Gaza each day.

He also noted that "a good number of the trucks are commercial," highlighting that many Gaza residents lack resources to purchase goods, which "reduces the beneficiary size."

While acknowledging that the ceasefire was holding despite violations, the WHO chief warned: "The crisis is far from over, and the needs are immense. Although the flow of aid has increased, it's still only a fraction of what's needed."

Gaza's health infrastructure has been devastated during Israel's two-year military campaign following Hamas's deadly attacks of October 7, 2023.

"There are no fully functioning hospitals in Gaza, and only 14 out of 36 are functioning at all. There are critical shortages of essential medicines, equipment and health workers," Tedros stated.

He reported that since the ceasefire implementation, WHO has been delivering additional medical supplies to hospitals, deploying more emergency medical teams, and working to increase medical evacuations.

Tedros warned that rebuilding Gaza's health system would cost "at least $7 billion."