Attachments
General updates - as of 22 May 2025
- Gaza Strip
- Between 18 March and 21 May 2025, following the resumption of hostilities, the Ministry of Health (MoH) reported at least 3613 deaths and 10 156 injuries across the Gaza Strip.
- Intensified attacks on health care and displacement orders – especially following the collapse of ceasefire in mid-March 2025 – continue to severely disrupt the delivery of supplies and access to essential health services.
- Between 13-14 May 2025, Nasser and Al Awda hospitals came under attack. At Nasser Hospital’s Burn Unit, reportedly three people were killed and 11 injured, while Al Awda Hospital sustained significant infrastructural damage and a fire in the warehouse destroyed all medical supplies. The hospital remains minimally operational despite access challenges.
- Between 13–15 May 2025, repeated attacks on European Gaza Hospital (EGH) — the only facility still providing oncology services in Gaza — caused extensive damage to its infrastructure, including the sewage system and surrounding roads. Coupled with an evacuation order in the area, the hospital was ultimately forced to cease operations. One of the attacks occurred while 284 patients and their companions were gathered at the facility for a pre-coordinated medical evacuation, supported by 12 WHO staff members. Two WHO-contracted medical evacuation buses were also damaged in the incident. Additionally, on 18 May, the Indonesian Hospital became non-operational following attacks.
- On 15 May, the Sheikh Radwan Primary Healthcare Center (PHC), which served approximately 5000 patients daily, was evacuated following an evacuation order in the area. In Deir Al-Balah, several PHCs have reduced services due to worsening security and high patient load, while four centers have completely closed.
- Around 42% of hospitals were reported to be non-functional; fewer than one-third of the partially functioning hospitals had adequate water access, all depend on generators, and 56% of primary care clinics had to cease operations.
- At least 40 health service points – including seven hospitals, two field hospitals, 18 primary care centers and 15 medical points – are located within designated evacuation zones, with 115 more within a one-kilometer radius, further threatening access to health care across the Strip.
- Followingnearly80days(2March–18May2025)oftotalaidblockade–includingcriticalmedicalsuppliesandfuel– the Israeli authorities announced temporary resumption of limited aid entry. Stocks remain at dangerously low levels. According to the Ministry of Health (MoH), as of the end of April, 43% of essential medicines were at zero stock, with major gaps in chemotherapy and hematology (62%), maternal and child health (53%), and primary care (48%) services. Additionally, 64% of essential disposables are expected to run out within weeks, severely affecting open heart and catheterization (100%), orthopedic (87%), and ophthalmic (84%) care.
- WHO’s assessments at Al-Shifa, Al-Zawaida, European Gaza, and Rantissi hospitals revealed critical shortages of laboratory supplies, a severe lack of hemodialysis machines, and a complete stockout of key cardiac catheterization materials – catheters, guidewires, stents, and pacemakers.
- The Emergency Medical Teams Coordination Cell (EMT CC) reported a 43% decrease in the number of international EMT personnel deployed to the Gaza Strip, attributed to increased denials since 18 March, which has limited critical specialized health care capacity.
- Communicable diseases remain a major threat due to displacement, overcrowding, poor water, hygiene and sanitation infrastructure. These risks include acute respiratory infections, acute watery diarrhea, acute bloody diarrhea, acute jaundice syndrome, and vaccine preventable diseases like polio. Disease surveillance and outbreak response efforts continue to be disrupted, highlighted by the indefinite suspension of a polio vaccination campaign due to ongoing insecurity.
- Food security and acute malnutrition rates continue to worsen. Between 1 January and 20 May 2025, the Nutrition Cluster reported 11 437 cases of acute malnutrition among children aged between 6 and 59 months – 1641 severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 9796 for moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) cases – with 98 SAM cases with medical complications treated. An estimated 71 000 children aged 6 to 59 months are expected to be acutely malnourished between April 2025 and March 2026, including 14 100 projected cases of SAM. Additionally, almost 17 000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will need treatment for acute malnutrition.
- Refer to the latest public health situation analysis (PHSA) for the oPt for more detailed information on the overall public health situation.
- West Bank
- Between 7 October 2023 and 16 May 2025, the MoH has reported 981 deaths and 8578 injuries across the West Bank. Since January 2025, at least 146 deaths have been reported, with the majority occurring in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates.
- Attacks on health facilities have damaged health service points, with only 266 of 768 (35%) across the West Bank fully operational; 486 (63%) are partially functional, and 16 (2%) remain non-operational. Additionally, movement restrictions, especially in Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Qalqiliya, continue to hinder the operations of ambulances and health care workers, impeding access to essential health care services.
- Operational challenges in Northern West Bank:
- Recent military operations have severely damaged WASH infrastructure, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and posing environmental and public health threats in the affected areas.
- Primary health care facilities lack adequate laboratory capacity, delaying disease testing and response, particularly in densely populated refugee camps.
- Newly established primary health care centers need to be integrated into the health surveillance system, requiring training, technical support, and consistent reporting.