The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that less than half of Gaza’s hospitals remain partially functional as a result of damage sustained during ongoing Israeli airstrikes, leaving healthcare workers to cope with an overwhelming number of casualties without enough essential supplies or essential staff members available.
On August 12th 2025, according to estimates provided by the World Health Organization, less than 50% of Gaza hospitals were providing limited services, with many more unable to operate altogether due to severe infrastructure damage. Compounding this difficulty are shortages in medical equipment, medicines and transportation resulting from destroyed roads and airstrikes preventing patients from reaching hospitals for care.
In its recent report, the WHO noted that while some hospitals remain functional in Gaza, their operations are operating at full capacity despite limited electricity, medical supplies, and threats of Israeli airstrikes threatening medical staff working conditions never before seen in Gaza. Medical workers face tremendous difficulty providing vital healthcare to an increasing number of injured Palestinians due to lack of electricity, supplies, and constant threats of Israeli airstrikes that make providing essential services increasingly difficult.
Critical Health Infrastructure Destroyed
Multiple key health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, including Gaza’s largest hospital Al-Shifa which was bombed multiple times over the past week and caused multiple casualties among medical staff and patients alike. Because of these attacks on Al-Shifa Hospital as well as other major facilities in Gaza, lifesaving treatments must now only be offered at these institutions, leaving too few resources for caring for an influx of daily patients arriving daily at Al-Shifa and similar hospitals.
Due to damage in Al-Quds and Rafah hospitals, they have had to use temporary shelters made of makeshift equipment as makeshift equipment has become impossible for use. WHO has expressed serious alarm over difficulty of patient evacuation as well as threats posed by ongoing bombardments.
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
Gaza is currently suffering a humanitarian catastrophe due to the destruction of healthcare infrastructure, airstrikes, displacement of hundreds of thousands due to airstrikes and subsequent airstrike victims seeking shelter in overcrowded schools and makeshift shelters; basic necessities like food, clean water and sanitation remain scarce thus further worsening an already critical health situation.
The WHO has issued a warning of an impending cholera outbreak as the region’s sanitation systems collapse and access to clean drinking water has decreased substantially. Due to poor hygiene and overcrowdedness in temporary shelters, populations in these regions are highly vulnerable to preventable diseases that threaten life and limb. Therefore, international assistance needs to be provided immediately in the form of clean drinking water, medical supplies and vaccines to halt further loss of lives.
International Calls for Ceasefire
The international community is increasingly calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas so humanitarian aid can reach Gaza. Governments and NGOs from around the globe are pressuring both sides to temporarily end violence so essential medical supplies, food, and water can reach Gaza.
Even with these calls for peace, both sides continue their military operations, while Gaza remains isolated due to an ongoing blockade. Meanwhile, WHO’s plea for unrestricted humanitarian aid access remains unanswered, compounding health crises across Gaza further.
WHO Urgent Appeal
The World Health Organization has made an urgent appeal for international assistance to sustain Gaza’s health sector during the ongoing conflict, in particular to donate funds, medical equipment and supplies that will ease suffering among Palestinian people.
“Gaza’s healthcare system will collapse without immediate action from the international community, resulting in even greater losses of life,” stated Dr. Mike Ryan of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
As Gazan hospitals struggle to operate under difficult conditions, casualty rates continue to climb. Without immediate intervention and access to essential healthcare services, Gaza’s civilian population could find itself without access to vital care they so desperately require. How the international community responds will determine whether Gaza’s healthcare system can recover and save lives.