WHO chief warns progress against famine remains ‘extremely fragile’ in Gaza

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the progress against famine in Gaza remains “extremely fragile” following the Israeli genocidal war in the besieged Palestinian territory.

“This welcome progress remains extremely fragile as the population continues to struggle with massive infrastructure destruction, collapsed livelihoods and local food production, and restrictions to humanitarian operations,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X on Sunday.

The WHO chief further stated that more than 100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are still projected to suffer acute malnutrition through April next year.

This comes after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that at least 1.6 million Palestinians in Gaza, around 77 percent of the population, are still facing high levels of acute food insecurity.

Elsewhere in the post, the WHO chief also said that only 50% of Gaza’s health facilities are partially functional, facing shortages of essential supplies and equipment.

“To scale up life-saving services and expand access to care, WHO calls for the urgent and expedited approval and entry of essential medical supplies, equipment and prefabricated hospital structures,” Tedros noted.

The health system in Gaza has been devastated by Israeli genocidal aggression, severe shortages of medicines and fuel, and damage to hospitals and medical infrastructure, leaving many patients unable to access specialized care such as cancer treatment, dialysis, or complex surgery.

WHO has repeatedly warned that delays and restrictions on medical evacuations are costing lives, particularly among children and patients with chronic or life-threatening conditions.

Over 1,000 patients have died awaiting evacuation from Gaza since July 2024: WHO

The WHO has previously estimated that more than 16,500 patients still need treatment outside of Gaza.

Citing numbers from the Gaza health ministry, Tedros, in a post on X, said on Friday, said that 1,092 patients were known to have died while awaiting medical evacuation just between July 2024 and November 28, 2025.

Gaza's government media office has repeatedly accused Israel of failing to meet its obligations under the October 10 ceasefire and its humanitarian protocol, including the entry of shelter materials and the delivery of 300,000 tents and mobile homes for displaced families.

Under the ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, which took effect on October 10, Israel was required to open border crossings and allow unrestricted entry of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid.

However, Israel has largely ignored these obligations. Most crossings remain closed, and only a trickle of supplies is permitted into a territory devastated by nearly two years of relentless war and genocide.

The Gaza Health Ministry says that since Israel’s genocidal assault began on October 7, 2023, at least 440 people, including more than 150 children, have died from hunger.

Since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000 others, most of them women and children.

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