WHO warns of Gaza aid delays amid prosthetics rejections — SkimNews
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- WHO warns that delayed entry of medical supplies into Gaza risks 'devastating consequences' for Palestinians in urgent need of care.
- Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO’s representative in Palestine, calls on Israeli authorities to stop pressuring medical shipments and allow unimpeded access for essential health items.
- One shipment of prosthetics and assistive devices has been rejected four times in six months, delaying mobility restoration for amputees awaiting prostheses.
- Kerem Shalom remains the only open crossing for approved aid, while Kissufim, Gate 96, Erez, and Erez West stay closed under full Israeli control.
- Van De Weerdt emphasizes that 87% of medicines are approved and only 1% rejected, but non-priority cargo often arrives instead of urgently needed supplies.
- Winter conditions threaten nearly two million people lacking adequate shelter, increasing risks of disease outbreaks due to flooding, rodent infestations, and destroyed public health labs.
- OCHA reports serious public health dangers from accumulating solid waste in Gaza City, worsened by lack of fuel, spare parts, and heavy machinery for sanitation.
Why it matters: With four major crossings still closed and prosthetics blocked repeatedly, patients lose vital time amid deteriorating shelter and sanitation. The 87% medicine approval rate masks a deeper problem: the wrong supplies are getting through, not the life-critical ones — putting hundreds at higher risk as winter amplifies disease threats.
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