In a statement Friday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the following diseases and conditions were documented in shelters across the strip from mid-October to mid-December:
- About 180,000 cases of upper respiratory infections
- 136,400 cases of diarrhea — half among children under 5 years old
- 55,400 cases of lice and scabies
- 5,330 cases of chickenpox
- 42,700 cases of skin rash
- 4,683 cases of Acute Jaundice Syndrome
- 126 cases of meningitis
“WHO and partners are working tirelessly to support the health authorities to increase disease surveillance and control by supplying medicines, testing kits to support prompt detection and response to infectious diseases such as hepatitis, and trying to improve access to safe water, food, hygiene and sanitation services,” the statement read.
So far, 1.9 million Palestinians, constituting around 85% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced since October 7, according to UNRWA.
Meanwhile, only 13 out of 36 hospitals remain partially functioning across Gaza, with another two minimally functioning, the WHO added in a statement Wednesday.