The Gaza Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that cancer patients in the Gaza Strip are facing one of the gravest humanitarian crises, as the near-total collapse of specialized healthcare leaves thousands without treatment and their medical fate uncertain.
In a statement marking World Cancer Day, the ministry said around 11,000 cancer patients in Gaza are being denied specialized diagnostic and therapeutic care, both inside and outside the enclave.
It added that nearly 4,000 patients who received referrals for treatment abroad more than two years ago remain unable to travel due to the continued closure of crossings and obstruction of patient movement.
The ministry said the shutdown of specialized hospitals, along with the extensive destruction of the Gaza Cancer Center, has dramatically worsened patient suffering and depleted critical healthcare resources, including chemotherapy drugs and diagnostic and follow-up equipment.
According to the statement, 64 percent of cancer medications are now completely out of stock, while essential diagnostic tools, such as MRI scanners and breast cancer imaging equipment, are unavailable, accelerating the deterioration of patients’ health conditions.
The ministry said cancer patients in Gaza are enduring a compounded medical, psychological, social, and economic siege amid catastrophic conditions that deprive them of their most basic rights to treatment and a dignified life.
It urged local and international actors to take immediate action to enable cancer patients to travel for treatment abroad, ensure the unrestricted entry of life-saving medicines, and rehabilitate damaged healthcare facilities, in line with humanitarian and legal obligations toward Gaza’s civilian population.
