WHO appeals for $1bn for world’s worst health crises including Gaza
2/3/2026 1:24:00 PM
The World Health Organization has appealed for $1bn to address health crises this year across the world’s 36 most severe emergencies, including in Gaza, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti.
“A quarter of a billion people are living through humanitarian crises that strip away the most basic protections: safety, shelter and access to healthcare,” WHO health emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva. “Health needs are surging … yet access to care is shrinking.”
The WHO has repeatedly said Gaza’s healthcare system is “on the brink of collapse” with institutions hardly functioning, a blockade on medical supplies and equipment, and Israel-imposed delays in travel for critical cases threatening Palestinian lives.
“A quarter of a billion people are living through humanitarian crises that strip away the most basic protections: safety, shelter and access to healthcare,” WHO health emergencies chief Chikwe Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva. “Health needs are surging … yet access to care is shrinking.”
The WHO has repeatedly said Gaza’s healthcare system is “on the brink of collapse” with institutions hardly functioning, a blockade on medical supplies and equipment, and Israel-imposed delays in travel for critical cases threatening Palestinian lives.