AMMAN — Thousands of patients and wounded people in the Gaza Strip are facing an uncertain fate amid the near-total collapse of the healthcare system, according to medical sources.

 

The few hospitals still operating are struggling to maintain basic services and have effectively become holding centres for large numbers of patients whose treatment prospects remain unclear, the sources told the Palestine News and Information Agency, WAFA.

 

Medical officials warned that the scale of the crisis has made the continuation of healthcare services increasingly difficult, describing daily operations as a constant struggle and a major obstacle to recovery and the restoration of specialized medical care.

 

A severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies has further compounded the situation, with even basic painkillers largely unavailable. Medical sources reported that 46 per cent of essential medicines, 66 pe rcent of medical supplies, and 84 percent of laboratory and blood bank materials are completely out of stock.

 

Cancer care, haematology, surgery, intensive care, emergency operations, and primary healthcare services are among the most affected, the sources said. Limited quantities of medical supplies reaching Gaza’s hospitals fall far short of what is needed to sustain essential services.

 

Medical officials said that addressing the crisis cannot rely on temporary emergency measures, warning that short-term solutions risk deepening the long-term consequences for Gaza’s healthcare system.

 

Meanwhile, UNICEF warned on Saturday regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in both the Gaza Strip and Sudan, stressing that the situation remains extremely fragile and deadly for thousands of children.

 

The organisation emphasized that the children in Gaza continue to suffer under the constant threat of airstrikes and the complete collapse of health, water, and education systems, making daily survival daily an on-going struggle.

 

UNICEF said in a statement that these reports reflect the extent of the international community's failure to protect the most vulnerable populations in conflict zones, where bombardment, hunger, and disease combine to create an environment that makes life unbearable and unfit for human life.

 

UNICEF reiterated its call for a cessation of hostilities and the opening of safe corridors to deliver life-saving aid before it is too late in these afflicted areas.