Shafaq News – Gaza

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the spread of infectious diseases in Gaza has become "out of control," with only 13 of the territory’s 36 hospitals operating even partially.

Speaking to AFP, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, said Gaza's health system "has been dismantled, and there is very little left of healthcare in Gaza,” expressing concern for children born in the last two years, many of whom she believes have not received routine vaccinations.

She warned of widespread outbreaks of meningitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome (a nerve disorder), respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases, stating that "the scale of the response Gaza requires is unimaginable, and we will have to approach it step by step."

Read more: Two years of Israeli war leave Gaza in ruins

According to WHO data, only eight partially functioning health centers remain in Gaza City. In the northern part of the Strip, just one clinic is operational. The organization reported a critical shortage of medical personnel, preventing the full restoration of essential services.

Balkhy estimated that rebuilding Gaza’s health sector would require “billions of dollars and decades of work,” due to the extensive destruction of medical infrastructure. She noted that the exact scale of the damage remains difficult to assess, given severe movement restrictions and rapidly changing conditions on the ground.

Since October 7, 2023, Gaza’s health facilities have come under attack more than 800 times, according to United Nations data.