The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has sounded the alarm over the catastrophic state of healthcare in Gaza, revealing that only six out of its 22 health centres remain operational amid relentless Israeli bombardments. These few surviving facilities, stretched beyond capacity, are struggling to function both inside and outside displacement shelters under dire conditions.

In its latest statement, UNRWA underscored a critical shortage of essential medical supplies and reiterated the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access. Since 2 March, Israel has enforced a total closure of all Gaza border crossings, preventing the entry of food, medicines, and aid — choking off lifelines for a population already enduring unspeakable suffering.

The blockade has deepened a humanitarian nightmare that human rights groups and UN experts have repeatedly described as genocidal. Since the Israeli assault began on 7 October 2023, over 173,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured — the vast majority women and children — while more than 11,000 remain buried beneath the rubble.

As Gaza’s health system collapses, the cost of inaction rises daily. UNRWA’s plea is yet another call to a world that continues to look away, even as an entire people are pushed to the brink of annihilation.