WAR ON GAZA
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Gaza hunger persists despite truce as WHO warns of ongoing human suffering
There has been "no dent in hunger, because there is not enough food", the WHO chief says.
Gaza hunger persists despite truce as WHO warns of ongoing human suffering
The WHO chief hailed that the ceasefire was holding despite violations, but warned: "The crisis is far from over, and the needs are immense. / Reuters
October 23, 2025

The World Health Organization has said that there had been little improvement in the amount of aid going into Gaza since a ceasefire took hold - and no observable reduction in hunger.

"The situation still remains catastrophic because what's entering is not enough," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, speaking at the UN health agency's Geneva headquarters on Thursday.

Since the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10, there has been "no dent in hunger, because there is not enough food", he warned.

Israel repeatedly cut off aid to Gaza during the war, exacerbating dire humanitarian conditions, with the United Nations saying it caused a famine in parts of the Palestinian territory.

But while the agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump provides for the entry of 600 trucks per day, Tedros said currently only between 200 and 300 trucks were going in daily.

And "a good number of the trucks are commercial", he said, pointing out that many people in the territory have no resources to buy goods.

"That reduces the beneficiary size," he said.

The WHO chief hailed that the ceasefire was holding despite violations, but warned: "The crisis is far from over, and the needs are immense.

"Although the flow of aid has increased, it's still only a fraction of what's needed."

"There are no fully functioning hospitals in Gaza, and only 14 out of 36 are functioning at all. There are critical shortages of essential medicines, equipment and health workers," Tedros said.

He said that since the ceasefire took effect, WHO had been sending more medical supplies to hospitals, deploying additional emergency medical teams and striving to scale up medical evacuations.

He warned that "the total cost for rebuilding the Gaza health system will be at least $7 billion".

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SOURCE:AFP