Gaza is experiencing a health catastrophe that will last for generations to come, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a massive increase in aid is needed to begin to address the complex needs of the Strip's population.
Israel has allowed more medical supplies and other aid to cross into Gaza since a ceasefire with Hamas came into effect on 10 October, but Dr. Tedros said levels are below those needed to rebuild the territory's healthcare system.
His intervention comes as the US attempts to shore up the ceasefire it helped to broker following an outbreak of violence at the weekend.
The agreement has been described by the White House as the first phase of a 20-point peace plan that includes an increase to the amount of aid entering Gaza, and supplies distributed without interference from either side.
Dr. Tedros welcomed the ceasefire deal but said the increase in aid that followed has been smaller than expected.
He said Gazans have experienced famine, overwhelming injuries, a collapsed healthcare system, and outbreaks of disease fueled by the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure.
Dr. Tedros added: If you take the famine and combine it with a mental health problem which we see is rampant, then the situation is a crisis for generations to come.
Tom Fletcher, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said earlier this week that aid groups are turning the tide on the starvation crisis but that far more was needed.
On Tuesday, the UN's World Food Programme reported that lorries carrying over 6,700 tonnes of food had entered since 10 October, but that was still well below its 2,000-tonnes-a-day target.
Six hundred aid lorries a day are needed, but the average is between 200 and 300. Dr. Tedros called on Israeli authorities to de-link aid from the wider conflict.
Following the intelligence that two Israeli troops were killed, Israel temporarily halted aid deliveries on Sunday, conducting air strikes in response. Aid deliveries resumed after international pressure.
Dr. Tedros emphasized that aid should not be weaponised and pointed out that crucial medical supplies are still being withheld at borders under dual-use claims.
He indicated that thousands of Palestinians await medical evacuation flights, which have not been available for two weeks, calling for an increase in these vital operations.
Since Israel's military actions commenced in response to an attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023, the conflict has resulted in extensive loss of life and infrastructure.
In addressing the funding needed for reconstruction, Dr. Tedros estimated that around 10% of the projected $70 billion cost for rebuilding Gaza should focus on its health system.
He reiterated, We have been saying for a long time that peace is the best medicine, reflecting on the fragile state of the ceasefire.
