GENEVA

The health crisis in the occupied West Bank is rapidly deteriorating, with mounting restrictions on access to care, attacks on medical services, and critical shortages of supplies, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.

Of 559 health facilities assessed by WHO in June, 71 face partial accessibility due to insecurity and physical barriers, said WHO spokesperson Richard Peeperkorn in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He warned that new roadblocks, checkpoint delays, and permit denials are obstructing access for patients and ambulances, particularly in Jenin, Hebron, Nablus, and Salfit.

Since October 2023, he said the WHO has documented 844 attacks on healthcare facilities in the West Bank, resulting in 31 deaths and 168 injuries.

"They include attacks on health infrastructure and ambulances, detention of health workers and patients, obstruction of their access to health facilities, use of force on health workers and militarized searches of ambulances and staff," Peeperkorn said.

Only 345 out of 476 government health units remain fully functional. WHO cited staff shortages due to unpaid salaries, and near-zero stock levels for essential items. According to the Ministry of Health, 16% of the total essential medicines, 14% of medical consumables, and 9% of laboratory supplies are at zero stock balance, he added.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, the spokesperson said the WHO delivered its first medical shipment since March on June 25, with nine trucks carrying blood, plasma, and other supplies.

"These are only a drop in the ocean. Aid at scale is essential to save lives," said Luca Pigozzi from WHO Gaza, calling for "immediate, unimpeded, and sustained delivery of health aid into Gaza through all possible routes."

Emergency Medical Teams have conducted nearly 3 million consultations since December 2023 but now face severe restrictions, including denied entry and supply blockades, WHO warned.