Doha: The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Tuesday for the entry of fuel into Gaza to keep its remaining hospitals operational, warning that the besieged Palestinian health system has reached the "brink of collapse." Rick Brennan, WHO representative in occupied Palestinian territories, confirmed that no fuel has entered Gaza for over 100 days, with attempts to bring supplies from evacuation zones having been denied.
According to Qatar News Agency, Brennan noted that this situation is pushing the health system toward collapse, compounded by severe shortages in medical supplies. He added that only 17 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are currently functioning at minimum or partial capacity. The total number of hospital beds is about 1,500, roughly 45% less than before the war on Gaza Strip began. All hospitals and primary healthcare centers in northern Gaza are out of service.
In Rafah, southern Gaza, health services are provided through a Red Cross field hospital and two partially operating medical points. The WHO representative emphasized that the 17 partially operating hospitals and seven field hospitals are barely running on minimum daily fuel, warning that "they will soon run out of fuel." He stressed that without fuel, all levels of care will cease, leading to more preventable deaths and suffering. Moreover, field hospitals rely entirely on generators, and without electricity, vaccines cannot be properly refrigerated. Hospitals have begun alternating between generators and batteries to power ventilators, dialysis machines, and incubators. Ambulances cannot operate without fuel, and medical supplies cannot be delivered to hospitals.
WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer, Dr. Thanos Gargavanis, speaking from Gaza, said that people often ask when Gaza will run out of fuel - Gaza is already out of fuel. He added that they are walking a fine line between catastrophe and saving lives, emphasizing that the shrinking humanitarian space makes every health activity much more difficult than the day before.