The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm over the rapidly worsening health crisis in the Gaza Strip, revealing that more than 15,600 patients urgently require medical evacuation for life-saving treatment outside the besieged enclave.

In a statement released on Monday, the organization confirmed that the scale of medical need in Gaza has reached “critical and unprecedented levels” following months of relentless Israeli bombardment that has left hospitals destroyed, medical staff exhausted, and basic supplies nearly depleted.

According to the WHO, more than 15,000 Palestinians have undergone limb amputations as a result of injuries sustained during the recent war. Many of these amputees, including large numbers of children, now face long-term disability without access to rehabilitation or prosthetic care.

The agency warned that Gaza’s health infrastructure has been devastated, with dozens of hospitals and clinics rendered inoperative and disease surveillance systems severely disrupted. “The risk of widespread infectious disease and viral outbreaks is increasing daily,” the statement said, citing the collapse of sanitation systems and the lack of clean water.

WHO officials emphasized the urgent need to reopen medical corridors out of Gaza to enable patients to reach specialized treatment centers, particularly for those suffering from complex injuries, cancer, kidney failure, and other chronic conditions that cannot be treated locally.

“The international community must act immediately to ensure the safe and unhindered evacuation of critically ill patients,” the WHO urged, warning that continued delays in medical access “will lead to preventable deaths and irreversible suffering.”

The agency also called for increased international assistance to rebuild Gaza’s healthcare system, supply hospitals with essential medicines, and restore disease monitoring mechanisms to prevent a secondary health catastrophe.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that the Israeli blockade and restrictions on movement have effectively turned Gaza’s hospitals into “islands of despair,” unable to meet even the most basic medical needs of a traumatized population.

As Gaza struggles to recover from months of destruction, the WHO’s latest appeal highlights the immense human cost of the ongoing siege — and the urgent necessity of opening medical lifelines for thousands still fighting to survive. (ILKHA)