The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday that it has coordinated the medical evacuation of 41 critically injured patients from the Gaza Strip, along with 145 relatives. The operation, led under the direct supervision of Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is part of an ongoing humanitarian effort to save the most urgently needed patients, as Gaza's health system teeters on the brink of collapse.
According to Tedros, nearly 15,000 patients are still waiting to be transferred to medical facilities capable of treating them. "We continue to call on countries to show solidarity and for all avenues to be open to expedite medical evacuation," he said on X (formerly Twitter), urging the international community to act on the humanitarian emergency.
The patients concerned mainly suffer from serious injuries caused by the bombing and fighting that have ravaged the territory for two years, but also from chronic illnesses such as cancer or heart conditions that Gaza's heavily damaged hospitals can no longer treat. Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 7,000 patients have been evacuated, with Egypt taking in more than half of them.
However, the pace of transfers has slowed drastically since the closure of the Rafah border crossing in May 2024, now controlled by Israel. Before that date, hundreds of patients could cross the border each month; today, according to the WHO, fewer than four patients manage to leave Gaza each day. Since the resumption of hostilities last March, the situation has worsened further.
The WHO estimates that approximately 15,600 patients are currently awaiting evacuation, including 3,800 children. Hundreds of them have already died due to lack of care, according to Palestinian health authorities and local medical organizations. Since July 2024, at least 740 people on the evacuation lists, including 137 children, have succumbed to their injuries or illnesses while awaiting transfer.
Despite repeated appeals from the WHO and other humanitarian agencies, access to Gaza remains extremely restricted. The Rafah crossing remains closed, and the enclave's hospitals, deprived of electricity, medicines, and surgical equipment, are struggling to provide even the most basic care. For Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, only immediate international cooperation and the reopening of humanitarian routes will save the thousands of lives still awaiting exit authorization.
