WHO Halts Fuel to Gaza Hospitals Amid Funding Shortage

The World Health Organization (WHO) will cease supplying diesel fuel to over 20 hospitals and health centers in the Gaza Strip starting September 19 due to a funding deficit, announced Munir Al-Bursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Al-Bursh stated that the severe fuel shortage, coupled with the inability to secure minimum operational levels for health facilities, has led to the WHO's decision.

While the WHO has not officially commented on the decision, it has previously acknowledged reduced funding for its programs. Al-Bursh emphasized that the limited fuel currently reaching Gaza barely keeps facilities operational. He warned that the cessation of fuel supplies would not only shut down generators but also halt operating rooms, intensive care units, ventilators, and oxygen stations, endangering infants in incubators, dialysis patients, the wounded, and those with chronic illnesses. Ambulance services and the cold chain for medicines and vaccines would also be paralyzed.

Al-Bursh characterized the fuel crisis as pushing hospitals toward complete shutdown and leaving patients vulnerable to preventable deaths, calling the cutoff "silent killing." He criticized the disregard for essential operational needs of the health system as a "direct death sentence" for patient care and urged the WHO, donors, and the international community to fulfill their responsibilities by ensuring sufficient, safe, and sustainable fuel supplies to all health facilities.

This announcement coincides with a broader crisis involving a shortage of generator oil and spare parts, which has already caused several hospitals to cease operations. The Ministry of Health reported on Sunday that a lack of fuel, oil, and parts has led to generator failures, exacerbating the difficulty of maintaining electricity for daily needs. Generators have been the primary power source for vital departments and medical equipment since the ongoing electricity outages in Gaza began in October 2023.

Technical issues with generators, often repaired with used parts due to unavailability of new ones, and fuel shortages have contributed to their downtime. The closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing between Gaza and Israel since October 2023, and the Israeli army's control of the Rafah crossing with Egypt since May 2024, have severely limited the entry of essential supplies, including fuel. The Gaza government media office has repeatedly accused Israel of failing to adhere to ceasefire agreements that mandate allowing sufficient aid and fuel for vital sectors.