The World Health Organization warned on Friday of surging respiratory illnesses in Gaza. The UN agency said worse conditions are expected after heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians.
Dr. Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told reporters from Jerusalem that the pressure is visible in clinic data. Acute respiratory infections are 33,000 cases higher than at the same time last year.
Poor living conditions and severe overcrowding are driving up infections as Gaza’s population is squeezed into an ever-smaller area. The crunch has worsened as the Israeli military expands its control by advancing the yellow line, a demarcation established under October’s US-brokered ceasefire.
That means people are living in more crowded conditions, where the spread between humans of a virus is much more prone to happen, Van De Weerdt explained.
The Israeli military and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last week COGAT said that it had stepped up efforts to improve sanitary conditions before the heavy rain, in coordination with international organisations.
Respiratory infections currently make up 11 percent of all consultations. The WHO expects cold weather, flooding, overcrowded shelters and poor ventilation to push these numbers higher.
It is shocking that just a few days of rain really showed us what the coming months will bring, Van De Weerdt said. Winter has not even fully set in.
Nearly a million displaced people in Gaza live in flood-exposed areas, and 400,000 of them are in locations that are considered at extremely high risk, according to the WHO. The agency said flooding higher the risk of contaminated water, while standing water gave mosquitoes and pests more places to breed.
Dampness encouraged mould and bacteria that are major drivers for respiratory infections, especially in young children, the agency said.
While the majority of medicines are getting into Gaza, the WHO faces difficulty getting laboratory supplies, which it says are vital for diagnosing patients before they can be treated. To prevent outbreaks, we really call to let laboratory equipment enter Gaza today, so that we can avoid a public health disaster on top of a disaster, Van De Weerdt said.
