17 February 2026

OCHA reports that health partners?say?that medical evacuations from Gaza continue?on a?daily?basis,?albeit?still in?limited?numbers.

Today and yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners supported the evacuation of 55 patients and 72 companions. Three quarters exited through Rafah crossing and one quarter exited through Kerem Shalom. Since the re-opening of the Rafah crossing, nearly 260 patients have been evacuated through the two routes of about 18,500 who require treatment that is not available locally.

While WHO continues to call for the re-opening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, their priority is to scale up local health services and rehabilitate damaged facilities to reduce the need for evacuations.

Meanwhile, today, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said it has distributed more than 1,800 metric tons of animal feed and provided veterinary kits to over 2,300 livestock holders in the past four months, alongside cash assistance.

In a?, FAO noted that the conflict has caused widespread destruction of agricultural infrastructure. Between October 2023 and November 2025, livestock survival rates dropped to 33 per cent for goats and 20 per cent for sheep, while about 37 per cent of cropland is now accessible for cultivation.

Humanitarians say that meeting people’s needs in Gaza requires the increased entry of a wide range of humanitarian supplies and equipment, including items that are currently difficult to gain approval for entry. It also requires enabling all humanitarian partners to operate unimpeded.


Document Type: Press Release
Document Sources: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Subject: Assistance, Gaza Strip, Health
Publication Date: 17/02/2026
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