The Right Honourable Ed Miliband,
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
I thank the United Kingdom, Qatar and Jordan for convening this important discussion on humanitarian access and health in Gaza.
The situation in Gaza remains a humanitarian and public health emergency.
The health system remains under extreme strain.
Only 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are functioning even partially, and none fully functioning.
Essential medicines, diagnostics, equipment and fuel remain in critically short supply.
The result is patients with cancer who cannot receive treatment.
People with kidney disease who cannot access regular dialysis.
Mothers and newborns who face increased risks because health facilities lack medicines, equipment and specialist staff.
And thousands have suffered amputations and life-long injuries.
Yet only a small proportion have received prosthetic services, and rehabilitation capacity remains critically constrained.
Approximately 1.7 million people remain displaced.
Most are living in overcrowded conditions with inadequate shelter, water and sanitation, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Cases of acute watery diarrhoea have risen sharply, while water contamination continues to worsen.
Restrictions on diagnostics and laboratory equipment make it impossible for us to fully understand these risks and get ahead of the curve of outbreaks.
At the same time, health workers continue to serve their communities under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
Since 2023, there have been at least 920 attacks on health facilities and staff, with over 1700 health workers killed.
Health care must never be a target. Health workers must be protected in all circumstances. International humanitarian law must be respected.
Excellencies,
The single most important determinant of the health response today is humanitarian access.
UNRWA remains one of the main public health providers in Gaza, with more than 1000 staff delivering 10 000 health consultations every day.
But restrictions on UNRWA and humanitarian NGOs risk further undermining the delivery of health services, medicines and other life-saving assistance, at a time when more than two million people continue to depend on humanitarian support.
Rebuilding Gaza’s health system must be based on strengthening the existing capacity of UNRWA and others, rather than creating parallel systems.
WHO and our partners continue to deliver supplies, support health services and facilitate medical evacuations.
Since October 2023, approximately 12 400 patients have been medically evacuated from Gaza.
Yet tens of thousands more still require specialised care that is unavailable locally.
WHO calls for rapid, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access.
We call for medical supplies and equipment to be allowed to reach those who need them.
We call for health facilities to be rehabilitated.
We call for referral pathways for patients requiring specialised care from Gaza to East Jerusalem and the West Bank to be restored.
And we call for medical evacuations to continue and expand.
WHO welcomes the Call to Action being discussed today.
Above all, the best medicine is peace.
But until peace is achieved, we must do everything possible to save lives, alleviate suffering and restore access to health care.
WHO remains committed to working with all partners to support the people of Gaza.
Thank you.