The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that more than 18,500 patients in Gaza require specialized medical care that is unavailable.
In a post on his X platform on Tuesday, Ghebreyesus noted that the WHO and its partners supported the evacuation of five patients and seven companions to Egypt via the Rafah crossing on Monday.
He added that the organization supported the medical evacuation of the five patients from the Gaza Strip to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing on Monday, noting that it was “the first medical evacuation via this route since March 2025.”
Ghebreyesus emphasized the urgent need for rehabilitation and reconstruction to reduce the health system’s reliance on medical evacuations, following more than two years of continuous attacks on Gaza.
He also stressed the need to expedite the strengthening of health services, including the provision of medical supplies, the repair of damaged facilities, and the expansion of vital services, in order to build a resilient and sustainable health system within Gaza.
Ghebreyesus also called for the immediate reopening of the medical referral pathway to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to expedite access to life-saving care.
