Palestinians are being plagued by infectious skin diseases in Gaza, especially children, local health sources have revealed.
“Skin infections are spreading among displaced people due to the lack of cleanliness, poor ventilation and the lack of proper treatment,” said Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. He explained that infected children suffer from high fever, constant crying and refusal to breastfeed or eat.
Dr Abu Safiya warned that some cases have developed into germs that enter the blood and cause blood poisoning as well as sepsis, which he said could sometimes lead to death.
Many pictures have gone viral on social media showing children suffering from a rash on all parts of the body, including the face. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), doctors are wrestling with more than 103,000 cases of lice and scabies and 65,000 cases of skin rashes.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed that families in Gaza are living in “inhumane conditions,” noting that access to water and sanitation is very limited, leading to an increase in skin infections and diseases. It pointed out that Gaza needs “increased humanitarian access to provide fuel regularly to ensure the provision of clean water and hygiene supplies, including soap.”
Moreover, the Ministry of Health in Gaza has warned of the risk of polio spreading throughout the territory due to the deterioration of the sewage system. It said that the increasing number of displaced persons and overcrowding in tents without clean water where sewage flows and where waste is piled up, and without personal hygiene supplies, makes the conditions conducive to the spread of polio.
The WHO has been reported to be sending more than one million polio vaccines to Gaza after the virus was detected in sewage samples.