The World Health Organization expressed deep and growing concern about the spread of hunger and diseases throughout the Gaza Strip, after participating in a UN mission to Al-Shifa Medical Hospital to deliver medical supplies and assess the situation there.

According to the UN Information Center, the World Health Organization stated that it is committed to enhancing the capacities of Al-Shifa Hospital in the coming weeks so that it can at least resume its core work and continue to provide the urgently needed life-saving services at present.

It pointed out that Al-Shifa Hospital is currently operating at a minimum, while there is an urgent need to at least resume its core work to continue serving thousands in need of life-saving medical care. The hospital, which was the largest and most important hospital in Gaza, now has a small number of doctors and nurses and 70 volunteers working under unimaginably difficult conditions.

The UN team, which included the World Health Organization, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Department of Safety and Security, and the UN Mine Action Service - described the emergency department of the hospital as a bloodbath, with hundreds of injured and new cases arriving every minute, and wounds being stitched on the floor due to the lack of pain relief supplies.

The WHO team said that the emergency department is so overcrowded that one must be cautious while moving to avoid stepping on patients on the floor, and critical cases are being referred to the Arab National Hospital for surgery.

The World Health Organization confirmed the need for a multifaceted humanitarian response to supply them with food, water, and shelter. It said that Al-Shifa Hospital is still severely lacking food and safe drinking water for healthcare workers, patients, and displaced persons. Many asked the UN team to inform the world about what is happening hoping that this would lead to alleviating their suffering soon.