CAIRO - 9 April 2026: The ongoing war on the Gaza Strip has created a worsening health crisis, depriving cancer and chronic disease patients of continuous treatment and leading to the spread of diseases and epidemics.
This has impacted the overall health of thousands of Palestinians. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,800 health facilities were either completely or partially destroyed during the war.
The United Nations has confirmed that the health sector crisis in Gaza is worsening, as the war continues to cause widespread destruction to hospitals and medical centers.
More than six months after the ceasefire was declared, doctors and healthcare workers warn that the health system in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.
Cancer and chronic disease patients face slow death
A UN report stated that the number of patients is rising, and skin and respiratory diseases are spreading in the Gaza Strip.
The ability to treat those with chronic illnesses and cancer patients is declining, and many face the risk of a slow death due to shortages in medicines and medical supplies.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that only about 42 percent of health facilities in the Gaza Strip are currently operational, and most are providing only partial services, as restrictions hinder the entry of equipment and materials needed to rehabilitate the health system.
The UN report indicated that inside Al-Shifa Medical Complex, one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, the effects of the war are evident everywhere, from the destruction of buildings and infrastructure to the decline in operational capacity due to shortages of electricity, equipment, and medicine.
Dr. Hassan Al-Shaer, the medical director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, stated that the health crisis is no longer limited to receiving the wounded and injured, but has affected various medical specialties, most notably the treatment of cancer patients.
Al-Shaer added that the available cancer medications cover only a small fraction of the actual need, explaining that "medications are very scarce, not exceeding 15 percent of the total medications needed by these patients."
He also warned of the worsening environmental and health threats associated with the accumulation of rubble and garbage in Gaza City, noting the emergence of additional problems, including the spread of rodents and the accompanying new health hazards.
With a large number of health facilities out of service or operating at limited capacity, some schools and shelters have been transformed into makeshift medical points providing minimal healthcare to displaced persons and residents.
In one of the schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which now serves as both a shelter and a medical clinic, patients line up daily for basic treatment, a scene that reflects the depth of the crisis facing the health sector.
The Suffering of Medical Staff in the Gaza Strip
According to the United Nations, the suffering of patients is not separate from that of the medical staff themselves, who continue to work under increasing pressure and with extremely limited resources.
Dr. Khaled Siam, who works at a medical point inside one of the UNRWA displacement centers, says that the center receives between 150 and 200 cases daily, with very few staff members available.
He explained that the pressure is not only related to direct injuries, but is also connected to diseases prevalent among the population, especially skin and respiratory diseases, which require continuous monitoring and treatment, in light of the lack of hospitals and sufficient medical equipment.
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