WHO Chief describes Gaza crisis as ‘catastrophic’ with two million facing hunger

WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "catastrophic", warning that two million people are now facing hunger, Qatar News Agency reported on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Tedros also highlighted a severe financial crisis within the organisation, stating that WHO is currently experiencing "the most severe disruption in the history of WHO financing" as donor countries scale back contributions.

Echoing this alarm, WHO’s Executive Director for Health Emergencies, Dr Michael Ryan, condemned the international community’s failure to act decisively.

"The minds and bodies of Gaza's children are being broken as they are starved," he said. "This is unbearable. The complicity of inaction is only deepening the crisis."

Ryan warned that extreme malnutrition is leading to a collapse in immune systems, particularly among women and children, and noted an alarming rise in pneumonia and meningitis cases across the territory. - May 2, 2025