Palestine: Gaza faces ‘health catastrophe’ amid disease spread in shelters

Shafaq News- Gaza

The Palestinian government on Tuesday warned of an impending “health catastrophe” among displaced people in Gaza, citing deteriorating environmental conditions linked to the Israeli war in Gaza.

Authorities pointed to contaminated water, damaged sewage systems, and the spread of rodents and mosquitoes driven by accumulated waste and limited access to hygiene supplies, urging immediate international intervention to deliver medical and preventive aid and contain potential outbreaks.

On X, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported a sharp rise in skin infections linked to infestations of rats, lice, fleas, and mites. Its teams are treating around 40% of cases, which number in the thousands, noting that such conditions would typically be manageable with basic medicines that remain largely unavailable.

People in #Gaza are increasingly suffering from skin infections due to the surge in pests, including rats, lice, fleas, and mites. UNRWA health teams are treating around 40% of what is now thousands of cases - usually this would be easily managed with simple remedies but they… pic.twitter.com/6vEDJg2s8P

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 5, 2026

As of late April, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded more than 17,000 infections related to rodents and external parasites among displaced Palestinians since the start of the year, describing the situation as “desperate and dangerous.” The agency estimated damage to the health sector at about $1.4 billion, with more than 1,800 facilities partially or completely destroyed, including major hospitals such as Al-Shifa, alongside clinics, pharmacies, and laboratories.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, conditions for Gaza’s roughly 2.4 million residents, including 1.4 million displaced people, continue to deteriorate amid ongoing restrictions on the entry of food, relief supplies, medical aid, and shelter materials.

The organization added that more than 80% of displacement sites report skin diseases, including scabies, lice, and bedbugs, stressing the urgent need to allow medical supplies and laboratory equipment into Gaza while ensuring protection for healthcare workers and unrestricted humanitarian access.

Read more: Rodents, disease spread through Gaza displacement camps