Desperation in Gaza leading to breakdown of law, order: WHO head

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2025-08-08 05:30:45

Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, Aug. 7, 2025. Tedros said Thursday that the desperation in Gaza has led to a breakdown of law and order, calling for humanitarian corridors to evacuate people in need of urgent medical care outside Gaza. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

GENEVA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday that the desperation in Gaza has led to a breakdown of law and order, calling for humanitarian corridors to evacuate people in need of urgent medical care outside Gaza.

"People are dying not only from hunger and disease, but also in the desperate search for food," the WHO director-general told a press briefing in Geneva, noting that more than 1,600 people have been killed and nearly 12,000 injured while trying to collect food from distribution sites since May 27.

Tedros said people in Gaza have limited access to basic services, facing repeated displacement, and are currently suffering from a blockade of food supplies.

"Malnutrition is widespread and hunger-related deaths are rising," he said, adding that nearly 12,000 children under five years were identified as suffering from acute malnutrition in July, hitting the highest ever monthly figure.

Under overcrowding and deteriorating water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, diseases continue to spread, severely affecting the youngest, he said.

On July 29, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued a joint statement warning that the Gaza Strip is facing the risk of full-scale famine as key food and nutrition indicators continue to deteriorate.

Tedros said that since the conflict broke out in October 2023, WHO has assisted in the evacuation of 7,522 patients from Gaza, however, more than 14,800 patients in Gaza remain in urgent need of specialized medical care. He urged more countries to step forward to accept patients and to accelerate medical evacuations through all possible means. ■

This photo taken on Aug. 7, 2025 shows a press briefing of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Tedros said Thursday that the desperation in Gaza has led to a breakdown of law and order, calling for humanitarian corridors to evacuate people in need of urgent medical care outside Gaza. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (C) speaks during a press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, Aug. 7, 2025. Tedros said Thursday that the desperation in Gaza has led to a breakdown of law and order, calling for humanitarian corridors to evacuate people in need of urgent medical care outside Gaza. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)