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Tuesday, 17 October 2023
POST-PRESSER LINKS
Virtual press conference on health and humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and the Gaza Strip
The virtual press conference was held on 17 October 2023 and the speakers were Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean; Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme; Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative, occupied Palestinian territory; Dr Richard Brennan, Regional Emergency Director, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office; and Hyo-Jeong Kim, Lead, Attacks on Health Care Initiative, WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
Audio files (32mins) – download and listen: [https://who.canto.global/b/U8QJ3]
Video file (32mins) – download full file: [https://who.canto.global/b/N4HC0]
News package (4mins04sec) – download: [https://who.canto.global/b/LQ351]
Source: WHO; Filmed at various locations, 17OCT2023; Shows: (please check against delivery):
Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
WHO strongly condemns the attack on Al Ahli Arab hospital in the north of the Gaza strip. The hospital was operational with patients, health care givers and internally displaced people sheltering there. Early reports indicate hundreds of fatalities and injuries.
Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
The order for evacuation has been impossible to carry out given the current insecurity, critical condition of many patients and lack of ambulances, staff, health system bed capacity.
Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
WHO calls for the immediate active protection of civilians and health care. The evacuation orders must be reversed.
Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative, occupied Palestinian territory
I want to raise a plea, a plea that what is needed in Gaza now is immediate access. This corridor at Rafah needs to be opened as soon as possible. There’s an absolute need for fuel, water, food and of course medicines and medical supplies. The supplies are ready, they are at the border waiting to get in. There is an absolute need for this. This horror has to stop.
Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative, occupied Palestinian territory
And in this case everybody is aware that all the hospitals in Gaza, all their compounds, all their courtyards, are full with internally displaced people.
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme
Any attack on health workers in this situation is a violation of international law. The attribution of that and causation of that, it’s impossible for WHO to be able to determine that.
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme
The very place that can save the life of an injured civilian, can become a place of death and those health workers who risk their lives to save people are at risk of death so in that context, its exceptionally important that everybody works to protect healthcare installations. They are well identified, everyone knows where they are and they need to be de-conflicted and protected.
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme
We acknowledge the suffering and terror that was caused to the people of southern Israel and all over Israel last week. We can feel the fear and the fury. We acknowledge that. This is very important, they were savage attacks and we can understand the rage and the fury of the people of Israel, but you cannot justify what is happening to the ordinary people of Palestine. This has to stop.
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme
It is absolutely clear to all sides of this conflict where the health facilities are. It is absolutely clear. Health care is not a target. It should never be a target of anyone in conflict.
Dr Richard Brennan, Regional Emergency Director, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office
The Rafah crossing remains closed at this stage and there’s a lot of aid that has built up on the Egyptian side. WHO we’ve had life-saving medical supplies and equipment lines up for the last three days, we’re ready to go as soon as there is an opening.
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme
And it’s not just the Rafah crossing, its what happens on the far side of that crossing. Because delivering aid to the other side of the crossing is not good enough. The people are scattered all over Gaza. The hospitals are scattered all over Gaza. There needs to be safe access to those facilities.
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme
There needs to be safety guarantees so that aid can get to where it needs to go. So the operation is complex, it’s not just an issue of opening or closing the gate at the border. It’s going to require very, very high-level diplomacy between multiple countries. The violence has to stop. The bombing has to stop and we have to get assistance to the people of Gaza.
Full statement: [https://www.who.int/news/item/17-10-2023-who-statement-on-attack-on-al-ahli-arab-hospital-and-reported-large-scale-casualties]
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