GAZA CITY — Palestinian authorities have warned of a looming health catastrophe in Gaza as infectious disease spreads rapidly among displaced people sheltering across the enclave.
In a statement Tuesday, the authorities said the humanitarian crisis caused by Israeli attacks had severely degraded conditions inside shelters. Contaminated water, damaged sewage systems, accumulating waste and a lack of hygiene supplies are fueling the spread of communicable diseases.
The spread of rats, mosquitoes and other parasites is making conditions worse, the statement said. Officials called for urgent international assistance, medicine and preventive medical equipment to head off a possible epidemic.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency said skin infections in shelters have risen at an alarming rate. Thousands of people are suffering from scabies, lice, insect bites and other skin conditions, the agency said. While these conditions can be controlled with basic medication, the necessary medical supplies are almost nonexistent, it said.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 17,000 cases of rat- and parasite-borne infections have been recorded among displaced Palestinians in Gaza since the beginning of this year. The agency described the situation as “despairing and extremely dangerous.”
The health sector has suffered about $1.4 billion in damage, the authorities said. More than 1,800 health care facilities, including major hospitals, have been partially or completely destroyed.
Despite a ceasefire, the humanitarian situation for Gaza’s roughly 2.4 million people has not improved, international organizations said. Ongoing restrictions on the entry of food, medical aid, relief supplies and shelter materials are deepening the crisis.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report