Infectious diseases are devastating the population of Gaza, according to health officials and aid organizations. The main factors contributing to the crisis include cold and wet weather, overcrowding in shelters, scarce food, dirty water, and a lack of medicine. The situation is exacerbated by the overwhelming number of patients injured in airstrikes, which has overwhelmed hospitals and limited treatment options for those who become ill.
The collapse of Gaza’s health system has made it difficult to track exact numbers, but the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has reported at least 369,000 cases of infectious diseases since the start of the war. This number does not even include cases in northern Gaza, where the health system is completely overwhelmed due to the destruction caused by the war.
The most common diseases in Gaza are respiratory infections, ranging from colds to pneumonia. The dire living conditions in the enclave pose significant risks, especially to children, older adults, and the immunocompromised.
One mother, Samah al-Farra, described her family’s struggle to care for her 10 children in a camp for displaced Palestinians. All of her children have a high fever and a stomach virus, and they have been sleeping on the ground since fleeing their home.
The Israeli military has announced the opening of a second security checkpoint at the Kerem Shalom Crossing to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, aid organizations have noted that the current rate of aid is far from enough to address the crisis.
Marie-Aure Perreaut Revial, an emergency coordinator at Doctors Without Borders, reported that hospitals are primarily focused on providing critical care to trauma patients from airstrikes. However, many of these patients receive postoperative care in unsanitary conditions, leading to severe infections.
Furthermore, the primary health care system in central Gaza has completely collapsed, leaving those in need of basic medical care without treatment.
The unsanitary conditions in overcrowded shelters are contributing to the spread of infectious diseases. Displaced Palestinians are sharing bathrooms without running water, and fecal matter on the streets further contaminates water sources.
The situation has led to a rise in malnutrition, anemia, and dehydration cases among children. Many displaced people in shelters lack warm clothes and blankets to protect them from the cold and rainy weather.
The dire circumstances have left families like the al-Farra’s desperate for clean water and basic necessities. The crisis in Gaza is far from captured by the reported numbers, and the population continues to suffer from the devastating impact of the war.