The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that there is a “very concerning” emergence of disease in Gaza, including diarrhea, chickenpox, scabies, and upper respiratory infections. They highlighted that younger children and immunocompromised individuals are particularly at risk. Read more.
Since mid-October, over 33,500 cases of diarrhea have been reported, with more than half of them affecting children under the age of 5. Before the war, there were an average of 2,000 monthly cases of diarrhea among children in that age group.
In recent weeks, there have been nearly 9,000 cases of scabies and lice, over 12,600 cases of skin rash, and almost 55,000 cases of upper respiratory infections in Gaza. These diseases have spread rapidly due to the densely populated territory and the large number of displaced people living in United Nations-run shelters. Read more.
Aid agencies estimate that 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes in Gaza. The extent of the damage to housing is uncertain, but the United Nations estimates that almost half of the housing in the territory has been damaged or destroyed.
Gaza’s healthcare system is collapsing as fuel and medicine supplies run low. Doctors are faced with limited resources and are forced to make difficult decisions regarding patient care. Read more.
According to the U.N. office on humanitarian affairs, all of Gaza Strip’s 120 municipal water wells are expected to shut down due to fuel depletion. The amount of water entering through aid convoys from Egypt is only 4 percent of what is needed. Read more.
The shelters run by UNRWA, the U.N. agency that aids Palestinian refugees, are overcrowded. On average, 160 people are sharing a toilet, and there is only one shower for every 700 people, according to the United Nations.