The Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, suspended operations outside its emergency department on Sunday after its fuel supplies ran out.
While the emergency department continued operating, the operating room, maternity, outpatient, radiology, laboratory, dental and vascular center units were unable to provide services. Hospital management said the disruption was caused by the halt in the energy supplies needed to operate the facility.
Management appealed to the international community and healthcare organizations, warning that thousands of people would lose access to healthcare every day if the fuel crisis continues. The hospital called for responsibilities to be fulfilled to prevent the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.
Fuel shortages at healthcare facilities in Gaza
Munir al-Barsh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, said in a statement on Monday that the World Health Organization had decided to halt diesel supplies to more than 20 hospitals and healthcare centers in Gaza starting September 19, citing insufficient funding.
The World Health Organization has not commented on the decision. In previous months, the organization had announced a decline in funding allocated to its operations and programs.
Al-Barsh said the limited fuel reaching Gaza was only enough to keep healthcare facilities operational. Problems obtaining oil and spare parts for generators also forced some facilities to suspend operations.
Power cuts leave hospitals dependent on generators
The complete shutdown of Gaza’s electricity grid has made hospitals dependent on generators as their primary source of power. The power outages have entered their third year following the war that began on October 8, 2023.
Gaza’s government media office claimed that the agreed quantities of aid and fuel under the ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, had not been allowed to enter the region.
More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 174,000 injured in Gaza since the war began. About 90 percent of the infrastructure has been damaged.
