Dire Conditions in Gaza: Water Shortage, Disease Outbreaks, and Child Trauma Amid Conflict

August 20, 2024
Dire Conditions in Gaza: Water Shortage, Disease Outbreaks, and Child Trauma Amid Conflict
  • Ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas has created dire living conditions for thousands of families in Gaza.

  • The majority of Gaza's 2.4 million residents have been displaced at least once since the war began on October 7.

  • Israeli military actions have severely damaged Gaza's water infrastructure, leaving residents with only around 4.7 liters of water per person per day, significantly below the UN's recommended minimum.

  • Access to basic necessities such as water and proper sanitation is severely limited, exacerbating the living conditions.

  • Philippe Lazzarini from UNRWA warned that the collapse of Gaza's waste management system has created conditions ripe for disease outbreaks.

  • Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has recorded over 4,100 preventable skin infections since July, including scabies and chickenpox.

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 11,000 cases of lice, 65,000 cases of chickenpox, and 65,000 cases of skin rashes in Gaza.

  • Julie Faucon, a Medical Coordinator at Doctors Without Borders (MSF), highlighted the challenges of implementing hygiene measures in Gaza's dire living conditions.

  • Ghada Alhaddad from Oxfam expressed the impossibility of quarantining individuals with Hepatitis A due to overcrowded living conditions.

  • Children are suffering from sleep deprivation, leading to increased risks of post-traumatic stress syndrome, cognitive issues, and developmental delays.

  • Yasmine, a 6-year-old girl, expressed her fear of dying while seeking comfort from her mother in a plastic tent in Gaza.

  • Despite efforts to provide humanitarian aid, the scale of the crisis in Gaza far exceeds the available resources.

Summary based on 2 sources


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Children disfigured as skin diseases tear through Gaza

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