The World Health Organization expressed its deep concern about the spread of infectious diseases in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians suffer from these diseases, as a result of the overcrowding of shelters with displaced people from the Strip. This came quoting a statement from the World Health Organization that it published in a tweet on the organization’s official account via Social media platform X.
World Health warns of the spread of diseases in Gaza Strip shelters – Source: World Health Organization via X
According to World Health Organization data, the following cases of infectious diseases were recorded in shelters throughout the Gaza Strip, from mid-October to mid-December, as the statistical data included the numbers of patients in shelters, which were as follows:
Disease Number of cases Upper respiratory tract infection 180,000 Diarrhea 136,400 Lice and scabies 55,400 Chicken pox 5,330 Skin rash 42,700 Acute jaundice syndrome 4,683 Meningitis 126
The World Health Organization stressed that it is committed to supporting health authorities in strengthening disease surveillance and control, by providing medicines and test kits to immediately detect and respond to infectious diseases, and improving access to clean water, food, hygiene and sanitation services. The organization also explained that the mass displacement that followed the escalation The military operation in the Gaza Strip last October led to the crowding of displaced people in overcrowded shelters and health facilities, which led to the spread of infectious diseases.
As people continue to be massively displaced across the south of #Gazawith some families forced to move multiple times and many sheltering in overcrowded health facilities, my @WHO colleagues and I remain very concerned about the increasing threat of infectious diseases.… pic.twitter.com/yszTuAN8Eu
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 29, 2023
The organization also indicated that children under the age of five are most vulnerable to infectious diseases, due to their weak immune system. It is worth noting that so far, about 1.9 million Palestinians, who constitute about 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since last October, according to the agency. United Nations Relief and Works for Palestine Refugees “UNRWA”.
The suffering of the displaced from the Gaza Strip
On the other hand, the World Health Organization announced in a statement issued on Wednesday that only 13 hospitals out of 36 are still partially operating in various areas of Gaza, with work in two other hospitals reduced to a minimum. The organization explained that the disruption of health care facilities in the Gaza Strip It limits the ability of health authorities to combat the spread of infectious diseases.
Meet Shifa Al Sanomeh, an internally displaced mother sheltering in Rafah in #Gaza after fleeing bombardments with her children. Her kids are grappling with sickness amid harsh conditions:
❌ No food
❌ Limited drinking water
❌ No firewood
❌ No blankets
“We are… pic.twitter.com/FYLSHo9wiX
— WHO in occupied Palestinian territory (@WHOoPt) December 29, 2023
The spread of infectious diseases in the Gaza Strip poses a great threat to the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced people, especially children under the age of five. These infectious diseases can lead to serious complications, including death, especially in the case of children, the elderly, and people who suffer from chronic diseases, so The situation in the Gaza Strip requires urgent intervention from the international community to provide the necessary support to health authorities in combating the spread of infectious diseases and protecting the lives of displaced people.
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2023-12-30 17:59:36
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