WHO says opening of Kerem Shalom crossing 'good news' but aid should reach all in Gaza

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the opening of Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza on Friday but argued what is needed is to be able to reach all Gazans in need.

"It is good news, but I think what we now have to work on is how can we make sure that these (aid) trucks can go everywhere in Gaza, and not just to the south of Gaza but also to the north of Gaza," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in occupied Palestinian territories, told members of the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the UN (ACANU) at a meeting in Geneva.

Speaking via video link, Peeperkorn stressed that there are still three hospitals that are barely functioning in the north of the Strip -- Al-Ahli, Al-Shifa and Al-Sahaba -- and ensuring regular supplies and medical teams to those hospitals in dire need.

"At the moment, that is not possible because of the lack of security, so that should change," he said. "It's a welcoming news and it'll help but we are not only talking about getting supplies into Gaza, we're talking about getting supplies to the people all over Gaza."

Tel Aviv decided to open its border crossing in Kerem Shalom on Friday for direct delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

- Gazans have 'right to be disappointed' with international community

The head of the WHO, who was part of the meeting along with other WHO experts, said people in Gaza have a "right to be disappointed" with the international community, which includes the UN and WHO.

"We're trying our best. It's not enough," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "Whatever they are getting is a fraction of what they should get."

Tedros underscored that it "does not matter" the number of crossings but the volume of aid passing through one.

"Even if there is just one crossing of Rafah crossing, and if 800 trucks roll through that crossing every day that may help but they're getting a fraction of that," he said.

He reiterated his call for a cease-fire. "The only real remedy is an immediate cease-fire. Without a cease-fire there is no peace, and without peace, there is no health," he said.

Noting that 2023 has been overshadowed by crisis, conflict, divisive politics and the continuing threat of disease outbreaks and the climate crisis, he said the WHO has responded to 65 graded emergencies.

Regarding the recently announced Global Humanitarian Overview of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for 2024, the WHO chief said $46.4 billion to assist life-threatening needs may look like "a lot of money" but "it’s a fraction of what the world spends on weapons and war."

"The nations of the world can easily mobilize that kind of money if they want to. It’s just a question of what we value most," he said.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 18,800 Palestinians have since been killed and 51,000 injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stands at 1,200, while more than 130 hostages are still held by the Palestinian group in Gaza, according to official figures.

- Not $1 raised for mpox that continues to pose risk

Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 technical lead at the WHO and infectious disease epidemiologist, drew attention to the fact that there is no single funding for mpox -- which was once a public health emergency of international concern and still poses risk, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"Not a single dollar was raised in support of the activities in the countries where this virus has been circulated for decades. Not $1 was raised to actually advance research; not one single dollar was raised to support treatments," said Kerkhove.

"So there's a lot more work that needs to be done," she said. "We need to support DRC."

Earlier, the WHO warned the DRC continues to face risk due to an mpox outbreak, as the country recorded 13,000 suspected cases -- the highest since 2020 -- and more than 600 related deaths.

In May, it declared that mpox was no longer a public health emergency of international concern.