No info on whereabouts of over 600 evacuated Al-Aqsa patients, staff in northern Gaza Strip - WHO

MOSCOW - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has no information on the whereabouts of over 600 evacuated patients and medical staff of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the only hospital in the central part of the Gaza Strip, reported Sputnik.

Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said according to the hospital’s director, over 600 patients and most of the health workers were forced to leave due to reports of increasing hostilities and ongoing evacuation orders near the hospital; however, the evacuees' current location remains unknown.

Tedros said due to dangerous conditions and the lack of necessary permissions, the United Nations (UN) health agency had to cancel yet another mission in the northern Gaza Strip, adding that there were no fully functioning medical facilities in the enclave's north.

Meanwhile, the WHO's office in the occupied Palestinian territory said it had cancelled a planned mission to the Al-Awda hospital and a central pharmacy in northern Gaza for the fourth time since Dec 26 after failing to receive "deconfliction and safety guarantees."

"The mission planned to move urgently needed medical supplies to sustain the operations of five hospitals in the north, including Al-Awda."

"It has now been 12 days since the organisation was last able to operate in the northern Gaza Strip”. wrote the WHO office on social media platform X. - BERNAMA