Published on October 16, 2025 • 2-minute read
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The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that only 13 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are functioning, even partially. Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA /AFP
Cairo (AFP) — The World Health Organization has issued a stark warning that infectious diseases are “spiraling out of control” in the Gaza Strip, where only 13 of the territory’s 36 hospitals are operational to any extent.
“Whether it’s meningitis, diarrhea, or respiratory illnesses, we are facing an overwhelming amount of work,” stated Hanan Balkhy, the regional director for the UN health agency, in an interview with AFP in Cairo.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has sparked hopes that life-saving aid and healthcare will finally reach Palestinians in Gaza after two years of conflict. However, Balkhy cautioned that the challenges ahead are “unimaginable.”
“We need more fuel to enter Gaza, along with increased supplies of food, medical equipment, medications, and healthcare professionals,” she emphasized on Wednesday, echoing calls from international leaders for Israel to significantly boost aid deliveries.
According to WHO data, there are only eight health facilities in Gaza City, the main urban center, and all are only partially operational.
The organization highlights that the remaining hospitals are facing severe shortages of medical staff, many of whom are also suffering from famine and the ongoing Israeli offensive, which has reportedly claimed nearly 68,000 lives, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The UN considers these figures to be credible.
Balkhy noted that discussions about repairing Gaza’s damaged hospitals raise the question of how many can be rehabilitated versus those that will need to be completely rebuilt. “We are talking about billions of dollars and decades of work,” she said, as the territory’s healthcare system has been effectively “dismantled.”
– ‘Very little left’ –
Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the current conflict, Gaza’s health facilities have endured over 800 attacks, according to UN data.
“There is very little left of the healthcare system. You have children who are suffering immensely,” she added.