WHO Urges Global Support to Fund Aid in Gaza Following Ceasefire Deal

WHO Urges Global Support to Fund Aid in Gaza Following Ceasefire Deal

The World Health Organization urged the global community to enhance funding for an expanded aid response in Gaza following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that concluded 15 months of conflict in the area earlier this week.

The U.N. health agency emphasized that its member states, donors, and the global community, including the private sector, should support the immediate healthcare needs and the long-term reconstruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.

“The UN cannot manage the response by itself,” stated Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during a virtual press conference on Thursday.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, 600 truckloads of humanitarian supplies will be permitted into Gaza daily starting from the deal’s commencement on Sunday.

Peeperkorn mentioned that the WHO is prepared to assist, although “significant security and political barriers to delivering aid throughout Gaza” must be addressed.

He called on all parties to honor the ceasefire agreement. “Now is the moment for member states, donors, and the international community to step up and provide adaptable funding that facilitates this rapid and effective response to urgent and long-term requirements,” he noted.

He indicated that the costs associated with rebuilding Gaza’s healthcare system are substantial, estimated at approximately $3 billion for the coming year and $10 billion over the next six or seven years, though these figures are preliminary estimates.

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“WHO remains dedicated to addressing the immediate health needs of the people in Gaza both now and after the agreement is activated, as well as assisting in the reconstruction of Gaza’s health system. This will be a monumental task. Less than half of the hospitals in Gaza are operational,” commented WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Source: Reuters