As indirect talks in Egypt seeking to end Gaza’s two-year war continue, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) says rebuilding the devastated health system is critical to securing lasting peace and stability.
Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said Gaza’s health services had been “shattered” after two years of conflict and “on the brink of total collapse.”
“When the fighting stops, a new struggle will begin – to rebuild Gaza’s health system and rescue an entire population from the edge of famine and despair,” she told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
Reconstruction will cost over $7 billion, according to WHO estimates, covering humanitarian response, early recovery and long-term rebuilding.
“Rebuilding Gaza’s health system will not only save lives today; it will restore dignity, stability and hope for the future,” Dr. Balkhy said.
Two years into the war, the humanitarian toll remains staggering.
Dr. Balkhy said more than half a million are “trapped in famine-like conditions,” while another million are severely food-insecure. Since January, 455 people – including 151 children, mostly under five – have died from malnutrition, according to Palestinian health authorities.
