The World Health Organization has delivered a sharp, data-rich update that lays bare two simultaneous global health emergencies: a month-long Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The tone from Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was cautiously hopeful in one area and deeply urgent in another.
Ebola Response in Remote DRC Shows Signs of Containment
One month after the Ebola outbreak was declared near Bulape in central DRC, the numbers are sobering but stable. There have been 64 confirmed and probable cases and 42 deaths. Thirteen people are still receiving treatment, while nine have recovered and been discharged.
No new infections have been reported in the past five days. That is encouraging, but the situation remains fragile. More than 1,800 contacts are being monitored across difficult terrain. The area is extremely remote. That remoteness has slowed transmission, but it has also posed major challenges for responders.
To supply treatment centres with water, WHO teams had to install 2.5 kilometres of piping. Oxygen concentrators have now been deployed as well—lifesaving equipment that local health facilities did not previously have access to.
WHO’s new Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan calls for US$66.6 million to finance containment, treatment and logistics in support of the government’s national response strategy. The agency has praised the DRC government’s leadership during the outbreak while warning that the current lull in cases should not be taken as a turning point.
Gaza: Two Years of War, Systemic Collapse and Staggering Casualties
The update shifted sharply from outbreak control to one of the worst humanitarian health crises in the world. Next week marks two years since Hamas-led attacks in Israel triggered a devastating conflict in Gaza. According to WHO, over 66,000 people have been killed in Gaza since, and roughly 70% of them are women and children. Thousands more remain unaccounted for and presumed dead.
Only 14 of the region’s 36 hospitals are functioning even partially. Health staff and aid workers have faced “extreme and unsafe conditions,” with minimal access to fuel, medical supplies, transport or food. Nearly 1,800 health workers and 543 aid workers have been killed, according to the latest figures cited by Dr. Tedros.
WHO welcomed the newly proposed peace plan led by the United States and backed by regional partners. The organization endorsed its call for an immediate ceasefire, hostage releases, resumption of humanitarian aid, rebuilding of Gaza’s hospitals and a long-term path to peaceful coexistence.
Pillar One: Delivering Emergency Health Services
WHO has provided medical supplies to support more than 22 million treatments and surgeries. Over 50 international medical teams have operated field hospitals and clinics covering trauma care, surgery, maternal health, infectious disease response and paediatrics. Fuel support has reached nearly 17 million litres for ambulances and health facilities.
More than 500 severely malnourished children have received treatment. These interventions are keeping essential services afloat in a system pushed to the edge.
Pillar Two: Disease Prevention and Public Health Surveillance
Large-scale vaccination campaigns have protected 600,000 children against polio. WHO is collaborating with about 700 health facilities across Gaza and the West Bank to track availability of staff, equipment and services. Nearly 100 facilities are involved in monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks.
These networks are meant to spot early warning signs quickly and respond before small outbreaks spiral.
Pillar Three: Health Emergency Coordination
WHO has coordinated the efforts of 88 partner organizations in Gaza and 35 in the West Bank. Together, they have delivered 31 million consultations, supported 1.6 million trauma cases and addressed 2.6 million mental health conditions.
This level of coordination has helped avoid duplication, maximize scarce resources and maintain lines of communication between agencies.
The Scale of Physical and Psychological Injury
New WHO data paints a grim picture of injury and disability. Almost 170,000 people have been injured, and at least one quarter have debilitating wounds requiring immediate and long-term rehabilitation. Common injuries include blast trauma to limbs, burns, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage and amputations. Severe facial and eye injuries have led to permanent impairment and disfigurement.
Demand for rehabilitation extends beyond trauma care. People with disabilities and chronic conditions have lost access to the specialised services they depend on. Meanwhile, the explosions that cause injuries are destroying the very facilities needed to treat them.
Attacks on Health Facilities and Workers Continue
Over the past two years, WHO has documented 1,719 attacks on health infrastructure and personnel across Gaza and the West Bank. These attacks caused more than 1,000 deaths and 1,800 injuries. Ongoing insecurity, a breakdown in sanitation and crowding have created fertile conditions for disease outbreaks and acute malnutrition.
Medical Evacuations Face Severe Constraints
Evacuation is sometimes the only option for patients with urgent needs—especially those requiring cancer treatment, cardiac surgery, neonatal care, ophthalmic surgery or congenital interventions. Since the conflict began, WHO has supported the transfer of 7,841 patients to facilities outside Gaza.
After the Rafah border crossing was closed in May last year, WHO assumed full responsibility for evacuation coordination. Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan and several EU countries have taken the majority of evacuees. Yet approximately 15,600 patients still await evacuation, including 3,800 children. At present, evacuations are only happening once a week due to access and security restrictions.
Dr. Tedros urged more countries to accept evacuees and called for the restoration of medical transfers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. He also pressed for more frequent evacuation windows.
Long-Term Presence and Post-Conflict Rebuilding
WHO has had a continuous presence in Gaza before, during and, it says, after the current conflict. The agency plans to stay through crisis recovery to help rebuild the health system. The Director-General stressed that the harm inflicted on people—both physically and mentally—will require decades of attention.
He closed with a reminder that peace is the most powerful remedy. Two years of war, he said, have produced only “death, destruction, disease and despair.” The organization is alarmed by reports suggesting that Hamas may reject the peace plan now on the table and urged all parties to choose a path away from further escalation.
The Cost of Delay and the Need for Expanded Support
The message from the briefing was clear: delayed action is measured in human lives. The Gaza health system cannot cope with current demands, let alone future surges. Even modest increases in supply access, fuel flow and evacuation corridors would have an outsized impact on survival rates and rehabilitation outcomes.
In the DRC, a fleeting break in transmission could quickly unravel without sustained attention and funding. The remote geography means any pause in resources could allow Ebola to re-emerge undetected.
What Governments, Donors and Agencies Can Do Now
There are five immediate actions international actors can take based on WHO’s latest briefing:
- Fund the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan in DRC. The US$66.6 million appeal is not optional if containment is to hold.
- Secure access and protections for health workers in Gaza. Field staff need fuel, safe corridors and reliable supply lines to continue essential work.
- Expand medical evacuations. Accepting more patients and opening additional transit routes will reduce the backlog of 15,600 people waiting for critical care.
- Strengthen rehabilitation capacity. Blast injuries, chronic conditions and psychological trauma will outlast the conflict unless programs scale quickly.
- Support the proposed peace framework. A ceasefire would create the conditions needed for sustained recovery and rebuilding.
A Moment of Reflection Amid Urgency
The remarks ended on the coinciding observance of Yom Kippur. Dr. Tedros offered wishes of peace, forgiveness and renewal, underscoring the connection between faith, humanity and public health resilience.
The data presented speaks louder than any appeal. From the rural heart of the Congo to the crowded streets of Gaza, health outcomes hinge on decisions being made now. Without decisive support, incremental gains could evaporate. With it, lives can be saved, systems can be restored and communities can begin to heal.
