Regional Director’s statement during the press briefing on emergencies in the Eastern …
When we held our first press briefing on health emergencies after I took office about four months ago, I could not have foreseen the escalation of violence in our Region. The situation has grown more relentless and unforgiving, while life-saving aid remains out of reach for too many whose lives depend on it.
In Gaza, the health crisis continues to reach horrifying levels. Over a million people in Rafah have been displaced again since early May. Except for an ICRC field hospital, there are no functioning hospitals left in Rafah. At least 10 000 people are stuck within Gaza in desperate need of medical evacuations, although several countries around the world are ready to offer help. At the recent conference in Jordan on the Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza, I emphasized that our consistent calls for the protection of healthcare and sustained access to aid remain unmet.
In Sudan, 12 million people have been displaced since the conflict escalated in early 2023. In parts of Khartoum, Darfur, and the Kordofan regions, there is an imminent risk of famine as people are still cut off from food and health assistance. Around 2 million people are at high risk of slipping into catastrophic hunger. Health care continues to come under attack. On June 21, the only functioning maternity hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur, was attacked and is only partially functional now.
These are the harrowing realities of our Region, where the politicization of health has left humanitarians facing severe access restrictions and
