The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are in the process of developing an action plan in anticipation of potential Israeli military action in the town of Rafah, situated in the southern Gaza Strip. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO's representative in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, disclosed this during a briefing held in Geneva.
Peeperkorn openly acknowledged the concerns shared by WHO and its partners regarding the implications for the health system should Israeli forces conduct an incursion into Rafah. "With between 1.2 and 1.5 million people residing in Rafah, any such operation would inevitably lead to an exacerbated humanitarian crisis," Peeperkorn emphasized. "We, at WHO, along with our partners, are actively developing a contingency plan to ensure that the health system is as prepared as possible to continue providing assistance," he added.
The WHO spokesperson further clarified that despite the proactive measures being taken, an Israeli military operation in Rafah could still result in a significant escalation in mortality and morbidity rates. Moreover, such an operation would likely trigger a fresh wave of displacement and hinder access to vital necessities such as food, water, and sanitation, exacerbating the already fragile security situation.
Pieperkorn warned that should Israeli forces enter Rafah, the three existing hospitals in the city could become inaccessible and cease to function. Additionally, Gaza's European Hospital might also be rendered inaccessible. This would place immense strain on the entire healthcare system, as patients would need to be transferred to other hospitals already operating beyond capacity. Currently, Gaza's healthcare system is barely functioning, with only 12 out of 36 hospitals and 22 out of 88 primary health care facilities partially operational, as stated by the WHO spokesperson.
Echoing similar concerns, Jens Larke, the official representative of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), emphasized during the briefing that OCHA had long cautioned against the potential for a military operation in Rafah, warning that it could result in a massacre. Larke underscored that a ground invasion of the city would deal a devastating blow to humanitarian aid efforts and would inflict further suffering and death upon the hundreds of thousands of civilians seeking refuge in Rafah to escape bombardments.
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Photo: WHO/Public Domain
Based on materials from TASS