Chickenpox spreads among Palestinian children in Gaza, UN says as Israel destroys infrastructure
Chickenpox cases among displaced Palestinian children in Gaza have continued to rise, with about 9,300 cases recorded over the past two weeks, more than half of them in the densely populated city of Khan Younis, the United Nations has said.
A report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said overcrowded living conditions, accumulating waste, limited access to clean water and the collapse of sewage infrastructure were driving the spread of infectious diseases in camps for Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israel.
The worsening conditions have turned chickenpox into a growing public health concern in the besieged Palestinian enclave, the report added.
The United Nations said acute respiratory and skin diseases remained the most commonly reported health problems in Gaza.
The UN also said waterborne diseases continued to spread, particularly around Khan Younis, and reported more than 18,000 new cases last week of chickenpox, external parasite infestation and bacterial skin infection impetigo.
