Inside one of the overcrowded shelters in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, displaced woman Hala Qudaih stands examining her young daughter’s body, which is covered in blisters and wounds. This scene encapsulates the suffering of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, where skin diseases are rampant, treatments are scarce, and clean water is limited.
Qudaih’s family of seven lives in dire humanitarian conditions, unable to find a solution to the skin disease problem, despite their efforts to maintain hygiene and expose their belongings to sunlight with limited resources.
Qudaih is one of thousands of displaced families facing similar challenges, amid what health officials have described as a “widespread outbreak of skin diseases” in displacement camps due to the lack of hygiene, water scarcity, and the proliferation of insects and rodents.
Despite the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10, 2015, the living conditions of Palestinians have not improved significantly, as Israel has failed to uphold its commitments under the agreement, including the delivery of the agreed-upon quantities of food, relief supplies, medical aid, and shelter materials.
Palestinian Health Minister Majid Abu Ramadan had previously warned of disease outbreaks in the Gaza Strip due to a “dangerous escalation” in rodent infestation stemming from a “sharp deterioration” in environmental conditions.
On numerous occasions, municipalities and civil defense authorities in the Gaza Strip have warned of the environmental and health hazards posed by piles of garbage accumulating among the tents of displaced people and the remaining ruins of homes in various parts of the Strip.
