WHO chief calls for urgent lifting of Gaza aid blockade

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The director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned Israel’s continuing blockage of all humanitarian relief into Gaza increases the risk of disease and death, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 75 per cent of UN missions within Gaza were denied or impeded last week.

Tedros said the WHO took advantage of Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas to resupply the health system, however, after six weeks of blockade, those supplies will run out in two to four weeks unless the siege is lifted.

More than 10,000 wounded or people with disease in Gaza needing to go abroad for medical care still await evacuation, he added.

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