WHO Plans Evacuation of 1,000 Women and Children from Gaza for Emergency Medical Assistance
Up to 1,000 women and children in need of medical assistance are set to be evacuated from Gaza to Europe, according to the director of the World Health Organization’s Europe branch.
Hans Kluge stated in an AFP interview that Israel, currently besieging the war-torn Palestinian territory, “is committed to conducting 1,000 more medical evacuations over the coming months to the European Union.”
The World Health Organization, the United Nations’ health agency, along with the participating European countries, will facilitate these evacuations.
On Thursday, UN investigators reported that Israel has been deliberately targeting healthcare facilities in Gaza and inflicting harm upon medical personnel, describing these actions as “crimes against humanity.”
The WHO Europe has already coordinated 600 medical evacuations from Gaza to seven European nations since the outbreak of the recent conflict in October 2023.
“This would not have been possible without maintaining an open dialogue,” Dr. Kluge remarked.
“The same applies to Ukraine,” he added, emphasizing the importance of keeping open communication with all partners.
“Currently, 15,000 HIV-AIDS patients in Donbas, the occupied areas of Ukraine, are receiving their necessary HIV-AIDS medications,” he said, highlighting the need to “not politicise health.”
Dr. Kluge asserted, “The most vital medicine is peace,” calling for healthcare workers to be allowed to perform their duties even in conflict zones.
Hans Kluge emphasized the need to condemn attacks on healthcare facilities
According to the WHO, approximately 2,000 attacks on health centres in Ukraine have been reported since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“While there may be a degree of acceptance of these occurrences, they should provoke outrage every single time,” he stated.
“We will consistently condemn this in the strongest terms possible.”
Dr. Kluge voiced his concerns as Ukraine approaches its third winter of conflict.
“Eighty percent of the civilian energy grid has been damaged or destroyed. We’ve witnessed surgeons performing operations using headlamps,” he noted.
“It is going to be an extremely challenging winter.”
Despite pressure on Europe’s healthcare systems, he mentioned that the 53 countries within the WHO European region, which includes Central Asian nations, have been able to unite to prepare for future pandemics.
“In Europe, we have done our homework,” he asserted.
“What we require is a global pandemic treaty, as even if we complete our responsibilities, we cannot entirely prevent pathogens from entering our continent.”
A European pandemic strategy is set to be unveiled on October 31.
Simultaneously, the WHO is encouraging its members to “manage and prepare for upcoming crises while ensuring the continuation of essential basic health services,” aiming to prevent another disruption similar to that experienced during the Covid pandemic.
Securing national healthcare systems is crucial and should be a high priority, Dr. Kluge insisted.
“At least 25 out of 53 countries have experienced at least one significant health emergency event in the past five years that has tested their healthcare security,” he said.
The impact of the pandemic on Europeans is a concern Dr. Kluge hopes to address in his upcoming term.
“The Covid-19 pandemic set us back by two years regarding non-communicable diseases,” he explained, emphasizing the need for countries to intensify efforts in diagnosing and treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, conducting screenings for uterine and cervical cancer, and administering vaccinations.
Furthermore, Dr. Kluge expressed his desire to tackle troubling trends, including youth health and the increasing disparities between genders.
“It’s evident that the lockdowns during Covid-19 resulted in a 25% rise in anxiety and depression disorders,” he lamented.
“Twenty-six percent of women aged 15 to 49 in my region report having experienced intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence at least once in their lifetime,” he added.
Dr. Kluge has led WHO Europe since February 2020 and is anticipated to be re-elected at the end of October.
