LONDON, Oct 17 — The World Health Organisation said today it needs urgent access to Gaza to deliver aid and medical supplies, as the UN agency warned of a humanitarian crisis in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian enclave.

Speaking to media in a briefing, Dr Richard Brennan, regional emergency director of the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean regional office, said the WHO was meeting with "decision-makers” today to open access to Gaza as soon as possible.

Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said 2,800 people have died and 11,000 injured in Gaza since Israeli air strikes started. About half of them were women and children. — Reuters