Two leading UN agencies have issued grave warnings about the accelerating humanitarian breakdown in Gaza, where ongoing Israeli border restrictions are obstructing access to life-saving medical care and essential aid. As winter looms, the crisis threatens to spiral further, endangering millions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that over 16,500 critically ill patients—including individuals with cancer, severe injuries, and chronic conditions—remain stranded inside Gaza, unable to access treatment abroad.
Although WHO has pre-positioned medical supplies at border crossings, the continued closure of Rafah and other entry points has rendered these resources inaccessible.
The Rafah crossing, WHO emphasized, is not only vital for medical evacuations but also serves as a primary conduit for health supplies.
|Gaza: Israeli Shelling Kills Man, Child Dies from UXO Blast|
The agency called for its immediate reopening and urged countries to accept Gaza patients for urgent care.
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that hundreds of thousands of displaced families are bracing for winter without shelter, heating, or protective clothing.
Makeshift encampments lack insulation and electricity, leaving vulnerable groups—especially children and the elderly—exposed to extreme conditions.
OCHA also noted that only 4% of Gaza’s farmland remains usable, with the rest devastated by Israeli military operations.
These warnings coincide with staggering figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which announced that the death toll from Israel’s genocide has exceeded 69,000.
⚡️AP documents the massive destruction in Al Shifa and Al Rantisi hospitals in Gaza city, along with Sheikh Radwan Clinic as a result of Israel’s bombardment. pic.twitter.com/AMezDqb8G0
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws1) October 17, 2025
Rescue teams continue to recover bodies from beneath the rubble, while the blockade on food, water, and medicine—enforced from March through October 2025—prompted the UN to declare a famine, marking the first such designation in the region’s history.
Despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, Israeli forces have maintained airstrikes and obstructed aid deliveries. Since the ceasefire’s announcement, nearly 260 Palestinians have been killed, and humanitarian convoys face repeated denials at border checkpoints.
Egypt has reiterated its willingness to treat wounded Palestinians and has worked with UN partners to facilitate aid through the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. However, Israeli restrictions continue to impede these efforts.
WHO warned that without immediate access to medical evacuations and supplies, thousands of preventable deaths could occur in the coming weeks.
The agency is preparing a large-scale health intervention to restore basic services for children who have gone without routine care for nearly two years.
