The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Palestine, Rik Peeperkorn, announced that they estimate that 12,000 to 14,000 critically ill patients in Gaza need medical evacuation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Palestine, Rik Peeperkorn, made his assessments by attending the weekly press conference of the United Nations (UN) Geneva Office online. Noting that more than 100 patients in Gaza are planned to be medically evacuated, Peeperkorn stated that these patients are on the list of the Gaza Health Ministry and “need to be evacuated as a priority.” Peeperkorn said that the patients will be evacuated through the Kerem Abu Salim (Shalom) Gate, adding, “The majority of the patients will go to the United Arab Emirates. Approximately 13 patients will be evacuated to Romania. This evacuation operation is planned for tomorrow.”
CLOSURE OF THE REFAH BORDER CROSS
Recalling that approximately 4,700 patients were evacuated from the Rafah Border Crossing before it was closed by Israel on May 6, Peeperkorn emphasized that only 282 patients were medically evacuated following the closure of the border gate. “We need a better organized and sustained medical evacuation process for patients in Gaza. We estimate that 12,000 to 14,000 critically ill patients in Gaza require medical evacuation,” Peeperkorn said.
