The Palestinian Ministry of Health said, on Tuesday, that the elderly in the Gaza Strip face catastrophic health conditions as a result of the continuous Israeli blockade, the insecurity and lack of food and treatment, while their counterparts in the West Bank face difficulty in reaching health facilities due to Israeli barriers.
This came in a statement by the Ministry of Health on the eve of the International Day of the Elderly, which will come today, Wednesday, October.
The ministry said that the elderly in the Gaza Strip face disastrous health conditions due to the lack of food and medicine due to the continuous Israeli siege and aggression.
She pointed out that the elderly in the West Bank also suffer from the difficulty of reaching health facilities in a timely manner as a result of military barriers and arbitrary measures of the occupation, which deprives them of their natural right to health care.
According to the data of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for the year 2023, the number of elderly people (60 years or over) in Palestine reached about 321 thousand people, or about 6% of the population of the West Bank, and 5% of the population of the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Health said that these estimates are affected by the ongoing aggression and ongoing demographic changes.
She indicated that she provides integrated services to the elderly through health centers and government hospitals, and works to develop home health care services for the category unable to access health centers.
She pointed out that 76% of the elderly suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, which doubles their need for regular medical care and basic medicines.
Palestinian health called on the international community and humanitarian and human rights institutions to assume their moral and legal responsibilities and immediate pressure to stop the aggression and the siege, and to ensure the arrival of food, medicine and health care for the elderly in Palestine without obstacles or violations.
On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly announced the first of October of each year an international day for the elderly, and celebrates it this year under the slogan of the elderly who lead local and global work: our aspirations, our well -being, and our rights.