WHO delivers its first medical shipment to Gaza since March 2, describing it as a "drop in the ocean."

Washington - Saeed Erekat

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday that the agency had successfully delivered its first medical shipment to Gaza since March 2.

In a post on Twitter, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO transported "nine trucks loaded with essential medical supplies, 2,000 units of blood, and 1,500 units of plasma" to Gaza on Wednesday.

The supplies entered through the Kerem Shalom crossing "without any looting, despite the extremely dangerous conditions along the way."

He added that the blood and plasma were transferred to the Nasser Medical Complex's refrigeration facility and will be distributed to hospitals "facing severe supply shortages amid a growing influx of infections, many of which are linked to incidents at food distribution sites."

He added that the rest of the shipment will be distributed to priority hospitals in the coming days. He noted that "four WHO trucks remain at the Kerem Shalom crossing, and more are on their way to Gaza." This delivery represents a rare success amid months of severe restrictions on humanitarian access to the besieged Strip, where health infrastructure has been devastated by the ongoing hostilities.

"These medical supplies are just a drop in the ocean," Tedros stressed. "Large-scale assistance is essential to save lives."

He reiterated his call for expanded humanitarian access, saying, "The World Health Organization calls for immediate and unhindered humanitarian access."