WHO says no contingency plan can prevent 'additional mortality' in Rafah if Israeli operation takes place

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said a contingency plan is in place in case of an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, southern Gaza, but added that such a plan would not be enough to prevent "expected additional mortality."

"We are, of course, making contingency plans to help ensure that the health system is ... prepared and can continue to provide care," spokesperson Richard Peeperkorn told a UN press briefing in Geneva.

However, Peeperkorn said: "This contingency plan is band-aid. It will absolutely not prevent the expected substantial, additional mortality and morbidity caused by a military operation."

"Also, of course, a military operation will lead to a new wave of displacement, more overcrowding, less access to essential food, water and sanitation," he added.

He also said that the WHO is "extremely concerned" that due to the possible military operation in Rafah, "the crossing will be closed off."

As part of the contingency plan, he said, the agency and its partners are pushing for "whatever happens, the crossing remains open" as it is at the heart of the humanitarian operation.

Regarding malnutrition, the spokesperson said that there is "a slight improvement" in food availability and variety but Peeperkorn stressed that such "a slight improvement" cannot be read as the risk of famine is declining.

Israel has launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,600 Palestinians have since been killed and over 77,800 others injured amid a tight siege imposed by Israel, which left the entire population, especially residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.