Attachments
he regional escalation that began on 28 February 2026, and its spillover effects are impacting the delivery and continuity of health care services in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Situation in the Gaza Strip Crossings
• Most crossings into the Gaza Strip, critical for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for the medical evacuation of patients in need of specialized care, remain closed. However, The Kerem Shalom Crossing was reopened on 3 March, to allow entry of fuel and some humanitarian supplies arriving through Israel and Egypt.
• Gaza is heavily dependent on humanitarian aid, and any additional disruptions to health-related supplies and access will further impact the availability and continuity of health services.
⊲ Response: On 4 March, WHO conducted a mission to retrieve 295 pallets of medical supplies that are ready for collection at Kerem Shalom (on the Gaza side of the crossing). In parallel, WHO is prioritizing the distribution of available supplies from its warehouse in Gaza to ensure that lifesaving needs are addressed first. Sustained advocacy is needed for the reopening of Gaza crossings, to ensure the uninterrupted flow of lifesaving medical supplies, fuel, and patient referrals.
Supplies
• The Ministry of Health reports that 46% of essential medicines and 66% of medical consumables are currently at zero-stock and urgently need sustained replenishment.
• WHO has limited stocks of essential medical supplies remaining in its warehouses in Gaza to support health facilities.
• WHO has approximately 700 pallets of lifesaving medical supplies ready to enter the Gaza Strip. Of these, 295 pallets are ready for collection at the Kerem Shalom on the Gaza side of the crossing. A mission is being conducted to collect these supplies on 4 March 2026. A further 411 pallets have been approved for shipment through the West Bank and Egypt but have not yet entered the Gaza Strip.
• Health partners report low stocks of essential medicines, including those for noncommunicable diseases, antibiotics, and anesthetics. Surgical consumables and trauma supplies are also critically low, with only a limited buffer remaining. Laboratory reagents and diagnostic equipment continue to be denied or delayed, putting disease surveillance at the risk of disruption if closures persist and supplies and equipment are not cleared to enter.
• Immediate facilitation is needed for the entry for prioritized lifesaving medical cargo, including, dialysis consumables and hemodialysis concentrate, ICU supplies and oxygen-dependent equipment, insulin and essential medicines for noncommunicable diseases, IVIG and critical injectable medicines, maternal emergency medications (e.g., methylergometrine, Anti-D immunoglobulin, emergency surgery consumables and sterile supplies, blood safety materials and transfusion supplies, and critical laboratory reagents required for emergency diagnostics).
⊲ Response: WHO will accelerate distribution of available supplies within Gaza, prioritizing lifesaving services and facilities at highest risk of stock depletion. WHO is also expanding pre-positioned health stocks outside the Gaza Strip, enabling rapid scale-up and immediate surge capacity once crossings reopen.