A growing public health emergency is unfolding in Gaza as skin diseases and pest infestations spread rapidly through overcrowded displacement camps, raising alarm among humanitarian agencies and health workers struggling to contain the worsening conditions.
United Nations agencies report that skin infections have surged in recent months, with cases more than tripling in some displacement sites.
Rising temperatures, overcrowding and deteriorating sanitation have created conditions conducive to the spread of scabies, chickenpox and other communicable diseases, particularly among children.
By March, nearly 10,000 people were affected in UN-run sites, compared with about 3,000 in January, underscoring a sharp escalation.
Healthcare workers warn that limited access to medicines and inadequate living conditions are making treatment difficult and prevention nearly impossible.
Efforts to disinfect camps have been constrained by shortages, with local authorities in Khan Younis reporting that only a fraction of tents have been treated due to a lack of pesticides.
Doctors say that without proper hygiene, ventilation and nutrition, even treated patients remain vulnerable to reinfection.
The situation is compounded by restricted access to essential medical supplies, which humanitarian officials say is critical to preventing further deterioration.
Alongside the spread of disease, infestations of rats, weasels and other pests have intensified across the enclave, affecting the majority of displacement sites.
A UN-cited survey found pests present in 80 percent of locations, impacting an estimated 1.45 million people.
Residents report frequent attacks on children, the elderly and the sick, with some suffering injuries from bites and scratches that can lead to infections.
"We cannot sleep! If we sleep, they bite the children and disturb us. There are so many weasels and rats – an abnormal number," said Rizq Abu Laila, a displaced resident.
The infestations are linked to the accumulation of waste and the collapse of sanitation infrastructure, with raw sewage and large rubbish piles providing ideal breeding grounds.
Humanitarian officials describe the conditions as a predictable outcome of prolonged environmental degradation and stalled reconstruction efforts.
Although some pest control supplies have been allowed into Gaza, aid groups say far greater access and large-scale intervention are required to address the crisis.
With summer approaching, concerns are mounting that both disease transmission and pest populations will increase further, deepening an already severe humanitarian emergency.