WHO says Gaza medical supplies wait 74 days for Israeli clearance
Medical shipments for Gaza wait a median of 74 days for Israeli clearance, according to the WHO, while no hospital there is fully functional. The delays and repeated rejection of equipment are complicating efforts to restore health services, the agency says.
Bottom line — The WHO says 74-day clearance waits leave medicines closer to expiry and equipment at risk of damage before reaching Gaza’s hospitals.
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WHO representative Reinhilde Van De Weerdt said nearly 87% of medicines are approved, while medical equipment is regularly rejected, often without explanation.
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Rejected shipments may have to restart the lengthy approval process, with no guarantee of a different result, Van De Weerdt said.
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The WHO says collecting supplies at Kerem Shalom requires its teams to travel through an area controlled by the Israeli military in armoured vehicles and protective equipment.
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The agency called for predictable, unimpeded entry of health supplies at scale and access through multiple crossings.