Ramallah, September 5, 2024—Israeli bombing and ongoing strikes have destroyed basic infrastructure in Gaza, including water and sewage networks. This, along with cutting off electricity and the blockage of detergent and medicine deliveries into Gaza, has led to an increase in the spread of diseases and epidemics, particularly those that are infectious and highly contagious.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have recently witnessed an alarming outbreak of diseases among the population, mostly children, as a result of the extremely harsh conditions they live in, specifically in the crowded displacement camps that house hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
"I noticed redness on my son Nasser's neck and face. I thought it was an allergic reaction to a type of canned food we eat regularly," said Basel R., a father of four children, to Defense for Children International Palestine.
Seven-year-old Nasser was displaced multiple times, along with his family, from his home in Tel al-Zaatar neighborhood, east of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza, to Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.
“Nasser and his brother Talal went to the sea in Deir al-Balah to cool off from the scorching weather, but when they returned, I was horrified to see Nasser's face covered in blisters with even more redness than before,” Basel told DCIP.
Nasser suffers from chickenpox, which has spread all over his body. His father took him to many doctors, but they couldn't help due to the lack of the necessary medications and medical staff in crowded hospitals. He obtained antibiotics and ointment from a pharmacy, but it started leaving marks that looked like burns on Nasser's skin.
“Nasser would cry intensely, especially when he sweated from the heat, and would start screaming, saying ‘It feels like pepper,’ referring to the severe burning sensation caused by sweat reaching the pimples on his body as we are displaced and living in a tent,” the father continued.
“He needs special treatment with clean water and protection from high temperatures. We bathe him with fresh water, not the salty municipal water we usually use. The journey to get fresh water has become very exhausting, often taking several hours,” he said.
Basel said but his 15-year-old daughter Marah is also suffering from poor health.
"She has hepatitis, which has made her jaundiced due to malnutrition, poor hygiene, and the constant lack of clean water,” Basel told DCIP. “I did my best to provide her with some honey to help treat her illness, which requires proper nutrition for recovery.”
The deteriorating environmental and health conditions, in addition to the high summer temperatures and the collapse of the sewage system, have caused the spread of many skin and infectious diseases among children. Many Palestinian children in Gaza also suffer from malnutrition due to the lack of sufficient food supplies, proper medication, and clean water.
"I noticed a frightening spread of skin disease among the children in the sheltering school. I became very worried about my children and tried to keep them away from mixing with others,” Rabab M. from Beit Lahia, in north Gaza, told DCIP.
Rabab and her five children were displaced from their home near Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza due to heavy bombing around the hospital and moved to a shelter school in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.
“I increased my children's personal hygiene as much as possible, despite the scarcity of clean water. However, I was shocked when my youngest daughter Raseel, who’s always with me, started showing signs of a skin rash," Rabab told DCIP.
"I took Raseel to the UNRWA clinic in Deir al-Balah, where the doctor said she had a contagious skin infection common among children,” she continued. “He prescribed antibiotics and ointment, which initially helped. However, when the medication ran out, I returned to the clinic but found they had none left due to supply shortages from the crossing closures and the widespread infection. I couldn't find the treatment in pharmacies either, and the redness on Raseel’s body spread even more.”
"I buy fresh water and bathe Raseel three to four times daily to relieve her itching, but she cries all day,” Rabab said. “The high temperatures inside the classroom make everyone sweat, increasing the risk of infection. With a scarcity of clean water and expensive hygiene products, I'm now afraid the infection will spread to my other children and even to myself.”
Gaza health officials have confirmed a widespread outbreak of skin diseases, such as scabies, rashes, and chickenpox, attributed to the dire conditions in overcrowded displacement camps. Poor living standards, including overcrowding and inadequate personal hygiene, along with open pools of sewage water caused by the collapse of sewage networks, have all contributed to the spread of these diseases.
"My son Mohammad developed pimples with white heads, caused by lack of hygiene and the presence of biting insects and mosquitoes,” said Anas H., father of three children, including Mohammad and Jad, to DCIP. “These pimples have begun spreading among the displaced people, particularly among children, and many of them are complaining that this outbreak has struck our children."
Three-year-old Mohammad and five-year old Jad were displaced multiple times, along with their parents and seven-year-old sister, from their home in Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza city, to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
“I try to keep him in shaded areas away from the sun to prevent sweating and painful itchy attacks. I went to the UNRWA clinic for treatment, but they didn't have any ointment or allergy medicine available,” said Anas.
“Jad later contracted the same disease, which appeared on his face and caused itching and irritation. This disease causes my children a lot of pain,” he said. “Mohammad cries often, especially when he sweats in this hot summer weather. I make them shower daily to prevent the pimples from spreading further."
Health officials have raised concerns about the extensive risk of polio virus spreading in Gaza, which poses a significant threat to the lives and future of children. This outbreak, like many other diseases, is primarily due to a shortage of vaccines and essential healthcare services, a situation worsened by the Israeli blockade and the ongoing genocide.
Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause permanent disability and, in some cases, death. In July 2024, the Gaza Strip was designated as "a polio epidemic zone,” particularly in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, due to the deteriorating health conditions, according to the World Health Organization.
In mid-August 2024, health officials confirmed Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years. A 10-month-old boy, who had not received the polio vaccine, is now paralyzed in the leg. This case was discovered following the detection of the poliovirus in wastewater samples from the area, sparking concerns about a possible outbreak. The child showed symptoms consistent with polio, which were later confirmed through testing in Amman, Jordan, according to Al Jazeera.
The reappearance of polio in Gaza is linked to several factors, such as the severe damage to the Gaza's health and sanitation systems caused by ongoing bombardment, which has interrupted routine vaccination efforts. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations have launched a vaccination campaign aimed at protecting more than 640,000 children under the age of 10 from this highly contagious disease, which can cause irreversible paralysis of the limbs or even death.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and UNICEF, more than 189,000 children received the first dose of the polio vaccine in the central governorate of the Gaza Strip over the past two days. The vaccination campaign will then continue in the northern and southern governorates of the Gaza Strip.
Under Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated to ensure and maintain “medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory.”
Israel has certain obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to provide for the civilians under its control. Israel ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1991, thereby obligating itself to implement a comprehensive range of rights and protections for children. Article 24 of the CRC compels States Parties to “recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.”
