'100 days of tragedy': WHO chief marks Gaza humanitarian crisis
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference, Geneva, Switzerland, April 6, 2023. (AP Photo)


The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has described the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a tragedy.

The comment came Sunday as he marked the 100th day of Israel's attacks on the territory and reiterated his call for a cease-fire.

Emphasizing that there is a "major humanitarian crisis" in Gaza following the attacks, Ghebreyesus wrote on X: "Today we mark 100 days of a tragedy."

"More than 24,000 Gazans killed - 70% women and children; more injured, many grievously," he said.

Adding that "following over 300 attacks on health and continuous lack of safe access to critical aid, the majority of hospitals in the Strip have stopped working. The 15 facilities that are still working can only provide limited health care."

Amputations and deaths are rising due to the health care system’s breakdown, while diseases are spreading in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, he pointed out.

"People in Gaza are living in hell. Nowhere is safe. 100 days, and counting, of incessant insecurity and fear is beyond words," he said.

Ghebreyesus highlighted the U.N. and the WHO's ongoing obstacles in delivering essential aid to Gaza and called for the release of Israeli hostages being held by Palestinian groups.

Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion killed 1,140 people in Israel.

Over 24,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 60,834, according to Palestinian health authorities.

According to the U.N., nearly 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.