WHO EMRO | Regional Director opening remarks at the emergencies press briefing | News

29 January 2025

Good afternoon to all journalists and media representatives, and thank you for your continued efforts to shed light on the humanitarian and health situation in our Region — home to some of the most vulnerable people on the planet today.

For the first time since I took office, we find ourselves in a moment of fragile hope. A ceasefire is holding in Gaza, another has been extended in Lebanon. Syria has recently faced a swift transition. I want to begin this briefing by expressing my hope— that not only do these ceasefires endure, but that they pave the way for a lasting cessation of hostilities. Just like one little boy named Ashraf from Gaza said, “We hope that the ceasefire is for real… do not let us down like every time.”

Many of you may have seen the heartbreaking images of families returning to north Gaza—to places where their homes once were, where now only rubble remains. Hundreds of thousands have come back to devastated neighborhoods with almost no health facility remaining intact. During these weeks of ceasefire, our top priority is to restore essential health services and make hospitals and health facilities operational as swiftly as possible.

The psychological trauma facing the people of Gaza is unspeakable. This is a place where everyone is grieving. They have endured unimaginable violence, months of insufficient food, scarce water, and nights haunted by the relentless sound of drones. The collective trauma is profound and beyond measure. Supporting mental health is a key aspect of our response, as we strive to help individuals and families process the devastation they have been through.

A ceasefire in one area must not come at the cost of escalating atrocities and violence in another. We are closely monitoring the situation in the West Bank, which has already endured relentless attacks on healthcare since October 2023. Peace and the restoration of health facilities are urgently needed across all Palestinian territories.

It is not possible to discuss humanitarian efforts in Gaza without recognizing the critical importance of UNRWA. The UN agency has been ordered to vacate its headquarters in East Jerusalem by tomorrow. I want to take this moment to stress that UNRWA is irreplaceable, and that no other entity has the ability to deliver aid in Gaza at the scale and breadth required. Gaza needs UNRWA, especially as humanitarian efforts intensify.

A few days ago, I concluded a visit to Syria. Despite decades of conflict and sanctions causing untold suffering, I witnessed an inspiring determination for a better future. Our priorities for Syria are clear: we are urgently working to ensure access to critical emergency health services, while also supporting health authorities in their recovery efforts, and working towards rebuilding a stronger, more resilient health system. We are committed to preserving progress and ensuring systems that can withstand future shocks.

In Sudan, the challenges of a highly complex humanitarian crisis persist. Even in the toughest of times, we are actively working to contain disease outbreaks. Since the last cholera outbreak was declared, we have supported oral cholera vaccination campaigns across eight states, reaching 7.4 million people. We have established cholera treatment units, set up oral rehydration points, and are actively conducting disease surveillance to prevent the outbreak from escalating further.

These critical interventions are not only vital for the people of Sudan but also for safeguarding public health across the Region and beyond. What happens in our Region has far-reaching consequences for global health security. Strengthening the resilience of health systems in the Eastern Mediterranean remains a top priority, as it is critical to ensuring stability and preventing the spread of health crises beyond borders.

As we respond to humanitarian and health emergencies across the Region, we are also investing in the capacity and training of our health workforce, in line with my second flagship initiative. Next week, we will launch a new collaborative center for trauma in Qatar, offering hands-on, practical training for surgical teams—including surgeons, anesthetists, and nurses—to address the needs of severe trauma patients in conflict settings. Through this initiative, we aim to promote state-of-the-art war surgery practices across the Region.

Before I close, I want to highlight our Regional Health Appeal. To address urgent health crises across Gaza, Syria, Sudan, and beyond, our Region requires $856 million. Funding shortfalls in 2024 have already led to devastating cuts to life-saving health operations. We ask for your support in amplifying our message—help us save lives, restore health systems, and bring hope to millions.

Thank you.