UN Official Describes Nasser Hospital as 'Place of Death' amid Gaza Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An official from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the dire conditions inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, saying it has transformed from "a place of healing" into "a place of death."
Jonathan Whittall, senior humanitarian affairs officer with OCHA, expressed shock at the situation during a mission with the WHO and the Palestine Red Crescent to evacuate critically ill patients trapped inside the besieged hospital amid Israeli bombardments.
"There are 150 patients in one of these buildings. They have no food and water, no electricity. There's very few doctors and nurses that are remaining inside this hospital. The conditions are appalling," Whittall said in a video posted on social media.
With fears of more deaths mounting, the WHO reported that at least five patients died in intensive care at Nasser Hospital because Israeli forces twice denied permission for the WHO to evacuate them. The organization managed to transfer 32 critical patients to other hospitals in Gaza but expressed concern for the remaining 130 sick and injured patients and the 15 medical staff still at Nasser Hospital.
Further complicating the situation, in the 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday afternoon, a further 103 Palestinians were reported killed and 142 injured by Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the OCHA.
The WHO warned that any further disruption to medical care at Nasser Hospital would lead to more deaths among the sick and injured, emphasizing the urgent need for access to the facility.
