The situation in Gaza is spiraling into a catastrophic health crisis, with access to even basic medical care becoming increasingly limited. Recent figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) paint a grim picture: a shockingly low number of patients have been successfully evacuated for treatment since October 2023, highlighting the systemic obstacles hindering desperately needed medical evacuation from Gaza. The numbers reveal a stark reality – a healthcare system on the brink of total collapse and a population facing preventable death and suffering.
أزمة الإخلاء الطبي من غزة: أرقام صادمة وتحديات متزايدة (The Medical Evacuation Crisis from Gaza: Shocking Figures and Increasing Challenges)
On January 3rd, the WHO Director-General announced that only 5,383 patients had been evacuated with the organization’s support since the beginning of October 2023. This number is particularly alarming when considering the scale of the ongoing conflict and the resulting injuries. A further breakdown reveals that a mere 436 patients were evacuated after the destruction and closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, a vital lifeline for those seeking care outside the besieged territory. The WHO estimates that over 12,000 people currently require urgent medical evacuation, but at the current rate, it would take an unimaginable five to ten years to reach them all.
تدهور الوضع الصحي قبل وبعد معبر رفح (Deterioration of the Health Situation Before and After the Rafah Crossing)
These figures are consistently corroborated by other UN agencies. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported, as of January 6th, 2026, that more than 18,500 critical patients – including 4,000 children – are in need of medical evacuation. However, the period between January 1st, 2025, and January 5th, 2026, saw only 2,736 patients actually leave Gaza for treatment. This disparity underscores the immense difficulties in facilitating patient transfer despite the overwhelming need.
Before October 2023, approximately 2,000 patients were referred monthly for treatment unavailable within Gaza, primarily to hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Even then, the Israeli blockade severely restricted access to specialized care and essential medical supplies, particularly in areas like oncology and pediatric medicine. The pre-existing limitations were exacerbated exponentially by the current bombardment and the deliberate targeting of healthcare infrastructure.
الدمار المنهجي للمستشفيات وتأثيره على الإخلاء الطبي (Systematic Destruction of Hospitals and its Impact on Medical Evacuation)
The sheer number of injured – nearly 170,000 – combined with the systematic destruction of hospitals has created an impossible situation. Facilities are not only being damaged but are also losing the capacity to provide even basic care. The destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza’s only specialized cancer treatment center, is a particularly devastating blow, impacting around 1,500 oncology patients.
The disruption of dialysis services due to fuel shortages, raids, and access restrictions in northern Gaza has also led to tragic consequences, with approximately 400 kidney patients reported to have died by July 2025. As of November 2025, only 18 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza were even partially functional, and many of those remaining operate under severe constraints, particularly those located beyond the so-called “Yellow Line” which remains under Israeli control. This leaves a fragmented healthcare system struggling to survive amidst widespread devastation. The ongoing shortages of fuel, medicine, and equipment further compound the crisis.
نظام التصاريح: عقبة رئيسية أمام الوصول إلى الرعاية (The Permit System: A Major Obstacle to Accessing Care)
Despite the collapse of the healthcare system, the process for emergency medical evacuation continues to rely on the pre-existing, highly politicized permit regime. While the permit system was nominally suspended after the destruction of the Erez crossing, the underlying logic remains. Patients, even those needing to cross through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing, still require Israeli “security clearance” and approval, alongside extensive documentation submitted to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (CODAT).
Low evacuation numbers are consistently attributed to Israeli denials or delays, including for critically injured and ill children. This creates an ever-growing waiting list with thousands of cases pending for months, and tragically, many die before they can even be registered for evacuation.
الحاجة الحقيقية تتجاوز الأرقام المعلنة (The Real Need Exceeds Reported Figures)
It’s crucial to understand that the reported figures represent only a fraction of the actual need. Many individuals requiring treatment unavailable in Gaza are never even referred due to the overwhelmed and dysfunctional healthcare system. The system is expected to perform functions – diagnosis, documentation, referral – that it is simply no longer capable of fulfilling.
تحول الإخلاء الطبي إلى إجراء شكلي (The Transformation of Medical Evacuation into a Formal Procedure)
The current approach to medical evacuation treats it as a viable pathway when, in reality, the foundations of that pathway have been destroyed. Mass casualties, the destruction of hospitals, the collapse of diagnostic capabilities, and the displacement of healthcare workers have all fundamentally undermined the ability of patients to access the referral system.
This has resulted in a system that regulates survival through paperwork and approvals, while the vast majority remain trapped within a devastated healthcare infrastructure. This isn’t simply an operational failure; it’s a deliberate component of a broader strategy that maintains the appearance of humanitarian access while structurally disabling it, turning treatable illnesses and survivable injuries into preventable deaths and long-term disabilities. The focus must shift from managing a broken system to demanding an end to the obstacles preventing life-saving healthcare access for the people of Gaza.
This article highlights the urgent need for a reevaluation of the current medical evacuation process and a concerted effort to remove the barriers preventing critically ill and injured Palestinians from receiving the care they desperately need. Further information on the ongoing crisis can be found through Middle East Eye’s live coverage. Share this article to raise awareness and advocate for immediate action.
