WHO: Medical evacuations from Gaza halted after Rafah attack

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that much-needed medical evacuations from Gaza, which were already limited, came to a complete halt when Israel began its military offensive on Rafah three weeks ago. According to AFP, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said in press statements from Geneva that since Israel launched its military offensive on the crowded southern city of Rafah in early May, "there has been a sudden halt to all medical evacuations," warning that the move means more people will die waiting for treatment. With the catastrophic shortage of medical services in Gaza due to the war, more people need to leave to access services they used to receive inside Gaza, such as chemotherapy or dialysis, she said, adding that thousands now need to leave after suffering serious injuries during the war. "If they don't receive treatment, unfortunately, they will die," she said. The World Health Organization estimates that "about 10,000 people need to be evacuated to receive the necessary med ical treatment elsewhere." Thousands of Gazans are estimated to require urgent medical evacuation, but few have been able to leave the besieged Strip since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip some eight months ago. Source: Jordan News Agency