Gaza – Slight improvement in health care amid supply shortages and worsening winter risks

This was stated by Dr. Rick Pepperkorn, who spoke from Gaza to journalists in Geneva, in his last press conference as a representative of the World Health Organization in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He explained that 50% of Gaza’s hospitals are partially functioning, but pointed out that there is no access to hospitals for 37,000 people in northern Gaza. He added that the Indonesian Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital are currently located outside the ceasefire line, while Kamal Adwan Hospital is located within the coordination area.

He said that the World Health Organization tried to establish a health care center in Kamal Adwan Hospital, “but unfortunately, we were prevented from starting this work.” Instead, the organization identified a nearby site in Beit Lahia, and work will begin soon to activate services there.

As for Gaza City, the organization’s representative stated that Al-Shifa Hospital had returned to work, partially, as a tertiary health care hospital, with many services operating. He added that the World Health Organization supported the renovation of the hospital’s desalination plant, enabling dialysis services to operate at full capacity.

Gaza creativity

Across Gaza, Dr. Peppercorn said local creativity is what drives improvements in the health sector. And he said: “You see a lot of rehabilitation work going on. But it’s all creative, because there’s no building materials going in, so they’re using materials from all over Gaza from heavily destroyed buildings and reusing them to renovate the hospitals in a very creative way.”

But the UN official stressed that there is an acute shortage of medical supplies, equipment, and essential medicines in all vital fields, including treatment of heart disease, kidney transplantation, dialysis, orthopedics, chemotherapy, and others. And he said: “The bottom line is that 50% of the medicines included in the essential medicines list are either non-existent or almost non-existent.”

The World Health Organization also reported that medical imaging, cardiac catheterization, and oncology services are still scarce, as there is no magnetic resonance machine available in the Gaza Strip, while there are only two computed tomography machines to cover the needs of more than two million people.

Dr. Peppercorn explained that all these supplies are not available “Even in small public hospitals around the world.” He stressed the need to reconsider the concept of dual use, adding that medical supplies must be given comprehensive approval to enter Gaza and their arrival accelerated to meet urgent needs.

Miserable shelter conditions

Dr. Peppercorn said it was a cold and rainy winter.“It makes people more susceptible to diseases.” In light of the sharp deterioration of water and sanitation systems, and miserable shelter conditions.

He added that thousands of families are taking refuge in low-lying coastal areas or filled with rubble, lacking sewage systems and protective barriers, while Storm Byron, which hit Gaza strongly, increased the suffering of already displaced families. He added: “At least 10 people were reported to have died in the past 24 hours due to torrential rains, highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by families who cannot find safe shelter.”

He said that winter conditions, coupled with poor water and sanitation services, are expected to lead to a sharp rise in cases of acute respiratory infections.

Evacuation to the West Bank

Dr. Pepperkorn pointed out that this week, the World Health Organization was able to evacuate 25 patients and 92 companions to Europe, including Italy, Norway, Belgium and Romania. This brings the total number of patients evacuated since October 2023 to 10,645, including 5,632 children.

According to Ministry of Health records, 1,092 patients died while awaiting medical evacuation between July 2024 and November 28, 2025, but Dr. Pepperkorn noted that this number was likely lower than the actual numbers.

Meanwhile, more than 18,500 patients still require medical evacuation from Gaza. The organization’s representative called on countries to receive more patients from the Gaza Strip, and to resume medical evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

And he said: “There is a ceasefire. There is no reason why this traditional referral pathway – the most effective and efficient pathway – to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank cannot be reopened.”

He stressed that the World Health Organization is ready to accelerate medical evacuations daily wherever needed and possible, adding that the medical evacuation route to the West Bank and East Jerusalem is “It should be opened now.”