The Gaza Strip faces an increased risk of disease spreading due to Israeli air bombardments that have disrupted the health system and access to clean water and caused people to crowd into shelters the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.
“As deaths and injuries in Gaza continue to rise due to intensified hostilities intense overcrowding and disrupted health water and sanitation systems pose an added danger: the rapid spread of infectious diseases” WHO said adding “Some worrying trends are already emerging.”
It said that the lack of fuel in the densely populated enclave had caused desalination plants to shut down which increased the risk of bacterial infections like diarrhea spreading.
WHO said that more than 33551 cases of diarrhea had been reported since mid-October the bulk of which were among children under five.
It said the number of children affected marked a significant increase compared to an average of 2000 cases per month in that age group throughout 2021 and 2022.
The lack of fuel has also disrupted the collection of solid waste which WHO said created an “environment conducive to the rapid and widespread proliferation of insects and rodents that can carry and transit diseases.”
It said that it was “almost impossible” for health facilities to maintain basic infection prevention measures increasing the risk of infection caused by trauma surgery and childbirth.
“Disrupted routine vaccination activities as well as a lack of medicines for treating communicable diseases further increase the risk of accelerated disease spread” it warned.
