WHO expresses concern regarding disease transmission in Gaza. The World Health Organization expressed grave concern on Friday regarding the spread of disease in Gaza, where the population has been confined to shelters with limited access to clean water and sustenance due to weeks of Israeli bombardment.
“As the winter season approaches, we are extremely concerned about the spread of disease,” said WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Richard Peeperkorn.
According to him, the number of reported acute respiratory infections and diarrhea cases exceeded 44,000 and surpassed 70,000, respectively, which were considerably higher than anticipated.
Read more: Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza is struck by an Israeli armored shell.
WHO has previously issued a warning regarding “worrying trends” in the transmission of diseases in Gaza, where ground offensives and bombardments have disrupted access to potable water, the health system, and shelters.
In addition to the onset of the rainy season and the potential for inundation, concerns have grown that the sewage system of the densely populated enclave will be overburdened, leading to the transmission of diseases.
Sewage filtration stations and desalination plants have been compelled to cease operations due to a lack of fuel, which has increased the likelihood of water contamination and disease outbreaks.
On Friday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that at least 154 shelters operated by UNRWA, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, are housing approximately 813,000 internally displaced persons.”Overcrowding is leading to the spread of disease, including acute respiratory illness and diarrhea, raising environmental and health concerns,” OCHA cautioned.
