GENEVA —
More than 45 percent of the roughly 2.3 million people living in the Gaza Strip
are children, the
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said in a statement
on Saturday, with many not only at risk of death from bombs and missiles but
also to epidemics and infectious diseases as
Gaza’s healthcare collapses.
اضافة اعلان
The
organization stated that given the record numbers and overcrowding of displaced
people, this has led to a lack of clean drinking water, inadequate sanitation,
and malnutrition, which the group says will “certainly lead to a public health
disaster.”
The
organization further added that
shelters have hit record-high rates of
infectious diseases like diarrhea, acute respiratory and skin infections, and
hygiene-related diseases due to overcrowding, unhygienic conditions, and a lack
of toilets and sanitation services. Amid growing concern, Euro-Med Monitor
highlights the plight of vulnerable individuals enduring harsh shelter
conditions in Gaza. A fuel shortage compounds the crisis, leading to the
closure of water desalination and sewage plants. This exacerbates the risk of
bacterial infections, with
polluted drinking water spreading diseases like
dysentery, typhoid, and polio.
Euro-Med
Monitor points out that the Israeli government, as part of its ongoing actions,
has severed fuel, electricity, and water supply to Gaza, aggravating the
already dire situation. Over 96 percent of water resources in the Strip were
deemed "unfit for human consumption" before the current violence.
Waste
buildup in residential areas poses a significant health and environmental
threat due to challenges faced by municipal crews, compounded by the fuel
crisis and Israeli raids. The inability to access main landfills on the Gaza
Strip’s border further escalates the situation, potentially leading to a health
and environmental catastrophe.
Testimonies
from healthcare professionals and international relief organizations indicate a
surge in respiratory infections, surpassing the monthly average under normal
circumstances. The shortage of cooking gas, a consequence of the Israeli siege,
forces reliance on unsafe alternatives, doubling the risk of respiratory
diseases.
Chickenpox, skin rashes, and scabies
Euro-Med
Monitor reports more than 50 severe diarrhea cases in November, with children
under five accounting for half. Given the malnourishment and poor health in
Gaza, violent diarrhea can be fatal. An unprecedented outbreak of inflammatory
skin diseases includes over 5,000 cases of chickenpox, 18,800 skin rashes, and
10,000 cases of scabies.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
cases have been confirmed, but the exact spread remains unclear due to the
inability to conduct necessary medical tests locally. Euro-Med Monitor
highlights the doubled risk of infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics,
coupled with malnourishment, shortage of medical supplies, and a collapsing
health system.
The
organization emphasizes the urgent need for a ceasefire and the lifting of
Israel's siege, deemed a war crime, to protect civilians in Gaza under
international humanitarian law. Vaccinations for Gazan children, limited to 10
percent, urgently require international intervention. Euro-Med Human Rights
Monitor urges global action to save lives and halt the collective punishment
imposed on Gaza's civilians.
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