WHO Alarmed by Escalating Health Crisis in West Bank

The WHO is alarmed by the escalating health crisis in the West Bank, highlighting urgent concerns over deteriorating medical conditions and access to healthcare amid ongoing conflicts.

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern regarding the deteriorating health situation in the occupied West Bank, calling for urgent measures to safeguard civilians and healthcare facilities.

Health Crisis in Occupied Palestinian Territory Worsens, Says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over the escalating health crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, where attacks on health infrastructure and increased movement restrictions are hindering access to healthcare.

Since the onset of the Gaza war, violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has surged, resulting in the deaths of 521 Palestinians, including 126 children, from October 7, 2023, to June 10, 2024. Additionally, over 5,200 individuals, 800 of them children, have been injured, overwhelming already strained health facilities with a growing demand for trauma and emergency care.

As of May 28, WHO has documented 480 attacks on healthcare in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, causing 16 deaths and 95 injuries. These attacks have impacted 54 health facilities, 20 mobile clinics, and 319 ambulances, with 59% occurring in Tulkarem, Jenin, and Nablus. The incidents include assaults on health infrastructure and ambulances, detention of health workers and patients, obstruction of access to health facilities, use of force against health workers, and militarized searches of ambulances and staff.

The closure of checkpoints, arbitrary obstructions, and detentions of health workers, combined with rising insecurity and the siege and closure of entire towns, have severely restricted movement within the West Bank, impeding access to health facilities. Extensive damage to infrastructure and housing, especially in the northern West Bank, has further complicated access for ambulances and first responders.

The long-standing fiscal crisis of the Palestinian Authority (PA) has further strained the health system, exacerbated by Israel’s increased withholding of tax revenues intended for the occupied Palestinian territory since October 7, and the overall economic deterioration in the region. The financial crisis has significantly impacted health service delivery, with health workers receiving only half their salaries for nearly a year and 45% of essential medications being out of stock. In many areas, primary care clinics and outpatient specialty clinics operate only two days per week, and hospitals function at approximately 70% capacity.

Between October 2023 and May 2024, 44% of 28,292 applications for patients seeking medical care outside the West Bank, in East Jerusalem, or Israeli health facilities have been denied or remain pending, with access mainly granted to cancer, dialysis, and other lifesaving cases. Similarly, 48% of the 26,562 companion permit applications have been denied or remain pending.

Comparing October 2022–May 2023 with October 2023–May 2024, there has been a 56% decrease in patient permit applications and a 22% decrease in approvals, along with a 63% decrease in companion permit applications and a 24% decrease in approvals. Before October 2023, over 300 patients required permits daily to cross from the West Bank to East Jerusalem and Israeli health facilities.

Boston Brand Media looked into - WHO is assisting the Ministry of Health with the procurement of essential medications and providing technical support to address some of the policies and procedures contributing to the fiscal crisis in healthcare. Additionally, WHO has pre-positioned supplies at key hospitals across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and conducted community trauma management training for first aid responders to enhance emergency preparedness. However, increasing insecurity and restricted access for emergency health workers and volunteers, combined with strict curfews, pose significant risks to the health system and hinder responders from reaching those in urgent need of care.

WHO urges the immediate and active protection of civilians and healthcare services in the West Bank. International humanitarian law must be upheld, ensuring the sanctity of healthcare at all times.

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Source: WHO