Gaza: Over 9,000 Cases of Contagious Skin Diseases in Two Weeks

SadaNews - About 9,300 cases of contagious skin diseases have been recorded in Gaza over the past two weeks, with the lack of treatment threatening to push the health situation out of control, especially within shelters and overcrowded refugee camps. A medical official in the Gaza Strip announced on Saturday the registration of thousands of cases of contagious skin diseases during the past two weeks, warning of the widening spread of infection amid a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies and the ongoing deterioration of humanitarian conditions. Mohammad Abu Afash, the director of medical relief in northern Gaza, stated in press remarks that approximately 9,300 cases of contagious skin diseases, including chickenpox, scabies, and lice, were detected in just two weeks through 130 health centers across the region. Abu Afash added that the ongoing shortage of treatments threatens to render the health situation unmanageable, particularly in the overcrowded shelters and refugee camps, noting that the spread of water and foodborne diseases complicates the health crisis. He explained that the health sector is facing a severe shortage of essential drugs and medical consumables due to the ongoing blockade, pointing out that the crisis extends to medications for chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart conditions, and hypertension, which he said have become nearly nonexistent even in the private sector. He also indicated that patients with kidney failure are facing increasing difficulties due to the shortage of solutions and materials necessary for dialysis sessions. The medical official further warned of rising rates of malnutrition as humanitarian aid declines, considering that this weakens immunity and increases susceptibility to diseases, especially among children and pregnant women. In this context, Adnan Hamouda, the coordinator of the Ministry of State for Relief Affairs in the Gaza Strip, stated that the region is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis due to restrictions on the entry of aid, indicating a significant gap between the actual needs of the population and the size of supplies that arrive daily. Hamouda explained in radio statements that the number of trucks entering the region currently ranges between 150 and 200 per day, while Gaza, according to his estimate, needs between 600 and 1,000 trucks daily to meet its basic needs. He added that a large part of the arriving trucks concerns the private sector and not humanitarian aid, noting that the assistance entering through international partners covers only a limited percentage of the population's needs. He pointed out that over 750 shelters accommodate displaced individuals suffering from the deteriorating conditions of tents, and the spread of insects and rodents, alongside the increase in skin diseases with rising temperatures during the summer. Hamouda also accused Israeli authorities of preventing several international and local organizations from delivering aid in recent times, confirming that this has led to the cessation of several relief kitchens that were providing food for thousands of families. This comes at a time when the humanitarian and health situations in the Gaza Strip are continuously deteriorating, while the files regarding the entry of aid, reconstruction, and the implementation of other agreements remain disputed between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire agreement between the two sides came into effect on October 11, 2025, and included an initial phase of prisoner exchanges, allowing the entry of humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from certain areas of the sector, while the United States later announced the start of work on a second phase that includes reconstruction and security and administrative arrangements in Gaza, while Tel Aviv continues to shirk its responsibilities under the agreement, especially regarding withdrawals and the humanitarian protocol.