The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a warning on Saturday about the escalating spread of infectious diseases in the Gaza Strip, a region already grappling with a severe lack of humanitarian aid and its devastating consequences.
The agency’s statement highlighted the recent surge in disease spread, particularly in southern Gaza, where mass displacement has forced many families to relocate multiple times. This situation is putting additional strain on the already overwhelmed Palestinian health system, which is struggling to meet the population’s enormous needs while most hospitals across the strip are non-operational.
According to OCHA, nearly 180,000 people are suffering from upper respiratory infections, and there are 136,400 cases of diarrhoea, half of which are reported among children under the age of five. Additionally, 55,400 people have contracted scabies, 5,330 have chickenpox, 42,700 are suffering from skin rashes, and 126 have been diagnosed with meningitis.
The statement further pointed out that approximately 85 percent of Gaza’s population, or 1.9 million people, have become internally displaced, including those who are frequently forced to move in search of refuge. The lack of food and survival items, coupled with poor hygiene, is exacerbating the already challenging living conditions of the displaced and promoting the spread of diseases.
OCHA also reported that due to significant security incidents near the Kerem Shalom crossing, which was partially reopened on December 17, humanitarian aid through this crossing between Israel and Gaza has been suspended for the past four days. However, on Friday, 81 trucks loaded with food and medicine entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
Despite these efforts, aid convoys face numerous challenges in their delivery. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees reported that Israeli forces opened fire on an aid convoy returning from northern Gaza on a route designated by the Israeli army, resulting in damage to one vehicle.
The World Food Programme recently warned that the Palestinian enclave is facing the fifth stage of acute food insecurity, with the risk of famine increasing daily amid escalating conflict and restricted humanitarian access.
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