WHO to halt diesel for Gaza hospitals amid funding gap

Gaza’s Health Ministry warned on Sunday that the healthcare system faces collapse after the World Health Organization notified facilities it would halt diesel supplies starting September 19. The decision stems from a reported funding shortfall affecting more than twenty hospitals and health centers across the devastated enclave.

Director-General Munir al-Bursh stated that the suspension comes amid severe shortages of fuel, generator oil, and spare parts. Hospitals rely entirely on generators due to the unreliable grid electricity. These machines power intensive care units, medical equipment, laboratories, and oxygen systems essential for patient survival.

Mahmoud Hammad, Director General of Administrative Affairs, explained that cutting diesel directly affects the cold chain for vaccines. A power outage would cause immediate spoilage of childhood vaccines and temperature-sensitive medicines. This disruption makes it impossible to receive or distribute new vaccine shipments without continuous refrigeration capabilities.

The consequences extend beyond primary healthcare to threaten hundreds of patients in critical care. Hammad stressed that this decision forces remaining health centers out of service. They would be reduced to first-aid points incapable of providing necessary medical interventions for the injured and sick population.

UN figures show thousands of liters of engine oil await approval for entry. The ministry appealed for urgent international intervention to reverse this measure. Officials called for sustained fuel entry to prevent a deeper humanitarian catastrophe. Without action, generator failures could paralyze the entire remaining medical infrastructure completely.