GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that a substantial amount of basic health provisions, sufficient to cater to the needs of 300,000 individuals in the Gaza Strip, had been delivered at El Arish airport in Egypt near the Palestinian territory.
As per the WHO, the supplies are poised for immediate distribution once humanitarian access is secured through the Rafah crossing from Egypt into the southern Gaza Strip.
A plane transporting 78 cubic meters of health supplies from the UN health agency's logistics hub in Dubai has landed at El Arish airport. These supplies are designed to serve the urgent requirements of a considerable population, including pregnant women.
The WHO statement underscored the urgency of expediting the transfer of these supplies into Gaza, saying that every moment the supplies remain on the Egyptian side of the border, lives are at risk, particularly of vulnerable or disabled populations.
The Rafah border crossing, being the only passage in and out of the coastal enclave not under Israeli control, has been non-operational since Tuesday, following a series of Israeli strikes that inflicted damage on the Palestinian side of the terminal.
The WHO's provisions include an adequate supply of medications intended for treating 1,200 wounded patients, along with 1,500 patients affected by heart ailments, hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory issues. Additionally, trauma pouches capable of treating 235 injured individuals are included, allowing for immediate stabilisation and life-saving treatment anywhere it is required.
Appealing for urgent action, the WHO advocated for the immediate opening of a humanitarian passage through Rafah to facilitate the delivery of vital necessities, including food, fuel, and water. Stressing the immediacy of the situation, the organisation highlighted that the critically injured, the sick, and the vulnerable cannot afford any delays.
According to reports from Egyptian state-affiliated media, the initial batch of humanitarian assistance has also arrived in El Arish from Jordan.
