The Zionist aggression on Gaza: 18,500 patients still urgently need evacuation

The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, stated that more than 18,500 patients and injured individuals in the Gaza Strip, including approximately 4,000 children, are still in dire need of immediate medical evacuation to receive treatment outside the Strip. This is due to the near-total collapse of the healthcare system and the continued restrictions imposed on patient movement by the Israeli occupation.

In a press statement issued Wednesday, Dujarric explained that the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation on crossings, coupled with the extremely slow pace of medical coordination procedures, are putting thousands of lives at risk. He noted that a large number of patients are at risk of rapid deterioration due to the lack of necessary medical resources within Gaza.

He emphasized that the list of cases requiring urgent evacuation includes those injured in Israeli bombings and military operations, cancer patients whose treatment protocols have been interrupted, kidney failure patients, and patients with complex deformities that cannot be treated within the Strip due to the shortage of medical equipment and supplies.

The spokesperson also confirmed that hospitals are operating beyond capacity and suffering from severe shortages of medicine and fuel, exacerbating the already critical health situation, particularly in intensive care units and neonatal wards.

Stéphane Dujarric stressed the urgent need to expedite medical evacuations and establish safe corridors for critical cases to ensure patients’ right to treatment and save their lives.