The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates a structural solution for the most seriously injured Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Of these, about 50 to 60 should be transferred to hospitals in Egypt every day. The WHO representative in the Palestinian Territories, Rik Peeperkorn, said this in a video call with the press in Geneva.
According to Peeperkorn, medical care in Gaza cannot currently cope with the demand. Of the 36 hospitals, eleven are still running, and they are not functioning at full capacity. In addition, at most 60 percent of doctor’s practices are still open.
Before the war, the area with 2.3 million inhabitants had approximately 3,500 hospital beds, but now only 1,400. The WHO official, a Dutch doctor, estimates that around 5,000 beds are currently needed.
Peeperkorn further said that the WHO wants to set up field hospitals in Gaza. He left open whether there are indications that Israel agrees with this.
Two weeks ago, Israel asked a number of European countries to send naval ships to the coast of Egypt and Gaza to take in the wounded. French, Italian and Dutch ships are on their way to the area or have already arrived there.
Peter van Ammelrooy
