The UN Relief and Work Agency's annual health report reveals a worsening health crisis for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
The report states that their health and well-being have been severely impacted by Israel's conflict in the region, leading to higher rates of injury, trauma, and mental health disorders.
The destruction of infrastructure and transportation systems has disrupted healthcare delivery, while crowded living conditions and limited access to clean water have increased the risk of infectious diseases such as hepatitis and diarrhea.
Malnutrition is also prevalent, with one in three children under the age of 2 in the northern Gaza Strip suffering from acute malnutrition.
The report notes that healthcare access declined in the last quarter of 2023, with 14 out of 22 health centers closing and power outages affecting telehealth systems.
UNRWA responded to the crisis in Gaza by establishing 155 emergency shelters, deploying 108 mobile medical units, coordinating the shipment of critical medicines, and implementing disease outbreak surveillance.
Dr. Akihiro Seita, UNRWA's director of health, emphasized the need for immediate and sustained healthcare interventions to mitigate the health crisis among Palestine refugees.
UNRWA has lost over 191 staff members, including 11 healthcare professionals, during the crisis, and the organization expressed gratitude for their dedication and commitment to delivering quality services despite the losses and displacement.
The West Bank faces new challenges with movement restrictions and violence, affecting UNRWA's health services for over 2 million patients in Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria.
UNRWA has found temporary solutions to ensure patient access and supply delivery.
In 2023, despite operational challenges like defunding, UNRWA provided nearly 7 million primary healthcare consultations and maintained high immunization levels, particularly in Gaza, preventing outbreaks of
vaccine-preventable diseases.