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The Gaza Strip continues to face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with medical aid arriving in extremely limited quantities.
A convoy of 19 trucks carrying medicine and supplies entered Gaza on Aug. 1–2, but local health officials say it barely scratches the surface of the urgent need.
A source, speaking anonymously to Anadolu Agency, confirmed that the shipment was delivered with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and funded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The aid was transferred to Gaza's Ministry of Health warehouses and is expected to be distributed to hospitals in the coming days.
“It’s a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of destruction,” the source said, noting that Gaza’s healthcare system has been on the verge of collapse since Israel began its military operations and tightened the blockade on Oct. 7, 2023.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, over 150,000 people have been injured, and the region’s few remaining hospitals—only 16 partially operational, 5 public and 11 private—are struggling to treat the wounded. Eight makeshift field hospitals are also in operation.
With fuel restrictions still in place, medical devices powered by generators are failing, endangering patients dependent on life-saving equipment.
On July 29, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of mass starvation, malnutrition, and disease in Gaza. He called for large-scale food and medical relief to prevent a wider catastrophe.
“We are seeing deaths not only from war but also from preventable diseases and untreated injuries,” he said.
Human rights organizations and medical groups have repeatedly warned that Gaza’s civilian population, especially the injured and chronically ill, is facing a rapidly deteriorating situation due to a lack of medicine and medical equipment.
As truck-based aid remains limited, air drops over central Gaza have continued. Planes parachuted food and medical supplies into isolated areas, but officials emphasize that this method is insufficient to meet widespread demand.
Since October 2023, Israel’s blockade and military strikes have targeted hospitals, schools, and shelters housing displaced families. Gaza's population of 2.3 million continues to suffer from restricted access to food, water, and medical aid.
So far, at least 60,430 Palestinians have been killed and 148,722 wounded by Israeli attacks, according to Gaza health authorities.
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