Geneva – Saba:
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned of the increasing risk of famine in the Palestinian Gaza Strip due to the suffocating Israeli blockade.
Ghebreyesus stated that two million people are starving in Gaza, while 116,000 tons of food are being held at the border.
His remarks came during his speech on Monday at the opening of the 78th session of the World Health Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the WHO, in Geneva, Switzerland.
"The latest Israeli siege on Gaza has now lasted two months, leaving two million people suffering from hunger while 116,000 tons of food are held at the border. The ongoing blockade is deliberately preventing humanitarian aid, including food, from reaching those in need, and the risk of famine in Gaza is growing," said the WHO Director-General.
He added, "The escalation of fighting, evacuation orders, and the prevention of aid from entering the sector are causing numerous casualties amid an already collapsed healthcare system."
He noted that the WHO had succeeded in preventing the spread of polio through a vaccination campaign in Gaza.
On March 18, the Israeli enemy resumed its aggression and tightened siege on Gaza after a two-month pause under a ceasefire agreement that came into effect on January 19. However, the enemy violated the terms of the agreement throughout the truce period.
With American and European support, the Israeli enemy has been committing genocide and enforcing a comprehensive blockade on Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 173,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to more than 14,000 missing persons.
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