In conflict-ridden regions, organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) often rely on the figures provided by local health authorities for casualty statistics. This was reaffirmed by Richard Peeperkorn, WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories, who stated that the Palestinian authorities have proven to be reliable in the past, especially with regards to their casualty estimations.
Post-conflict audits have often found the numbers provided by the Palestinian authorities to be relatively accurate, often underestimating rather than overestimating the actual casualties. In the context of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported over 18,200 deaths and 50,000 injuries since October 7.
The WHO's endorsement of the Palestinian authorities' casualty figures aligns with the assessment of other international organizations. For instance, the United Nations Humanitarian Office has also relied on Gaza Ministry of Health's death totals due to their clear sourcing and trustworthiness. Human Rights Watch, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have also acknowledged the reliability of the Gaza Ministry of Health's casualty figures, despite the challenges in data collection.
In conclusion, several international organizations have considered the Palestinian authorities' casualty figures to be reliable, despite the complexities in data collection, in conflict situations, such as that in the Gaza Strip.
