The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday (13 November) of surging respiratory illnesses in Gaza, with worse expected after heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians.
“The numbers already show the pressure. Acute respiratory infections are 33,000 cases higher than at the same time last year,” Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO representative told reporters.
Poor living conditions and severe overcrowding are driving up infections as Gaza's population is squeezed into an ever-smaller area, WHO said. The crunch has worsened as the Israeli military expands its control by advancing the “Yellow Line” a demarcation established under October’s U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
“That means people are living in more crowded conditions, where of course the spread between humans of a virus is much more prone to spread,” Van De Weerdt explained.
The Israeli military told Reuters the Yellow Line aims to protect Israeli civilians and army troops from threats and that adjustments to its location follow the ceasefire agreement and international law, and are not intended to harm the civilian population.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, said that more than 93,000 tents and more than 8,600 trucks carrying tarpaulin sheets, blankets and winter clothing have entered Gaza since the Board of Peace, UN agencies and NGOs launched the winterisation plan.
Equipment intended for the reconstruction of Gaza will be permitted to enter only after Hamas has been fully disarmed, it added.
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 per cent of all consultations, with the WHO expecting 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. And winter has not even fully set in. The worst really is yet to come,” Van De Weerdt said.
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 heightened 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 of respiratory infections, especially in young children, it 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 to enter Gaza today, so that we can avoid a public health disaster on top of a disaster.“
COGAT said Israel has facilitated the entry of all medicines requested by international aid organisations and has not rejected any requests received, adding that X-ray machines, oxygen generators, batteries, generators, and other equipment, have entered the Strip.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday (13 November) of surging respiratory illnesses in Gaza, ...
Italy's data protection agency said on Saturday it had fined Meta ...
Azerbaijan plans to allocate 150 million manat ($88.2 million) to international investment and development funds in 2027, according to the Chamber ...
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has backed withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and overhauling the country’s defence doctrine, calling both steps essential to national security and deterrence.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop on Friday (13 November) after a communications failure at air traffic control centres caused chaos at airports and triggered the longest nationwide shutdown since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
More than 30 people have been taken to hospital after a cargo ship collided with a passenger cruise docked on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday (13 November).
Europe will send a team of diplomats to Ukraine peace talks rather than a single envoy, EU leaders agreed on Friday at the end of a summit in Dublin.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh and three drones in its oil-rich Eastern Province on Sunday (15 November), as Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed separate attacks on a U.S. military facility in Bahrain.
Georgia's biggest ski resort is getting ready for another winter season, with new ski lifts, additional slopes and artificial snowmaking equipment expected to improve its appeal.
Yemeni forces fighting for the internationally recognised Saudi-backed government said on Sunday that they were withdrawing from an area overlooking the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, leaving the Iran-aligned Houthis in control.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education has challenged a United Nations report on access to education, saying its findings do not reflect the full picture of the country’s education system.
More than 537,000 trees were planted across Turkmenistan during a nationwide greening campaign as part of the autumn planting season. The initiative, attended by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, also included maintenance work for nearly two million trees planted in previous years.
Peace is Armenia’s only reliable guarantee of security, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said in comments in Dublin, where he also commented that the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) alliance had failed to fulfil its obligations towards Yerevan.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment