Skin infections in Gaza tripling amid worsening shelter crisis: UN

The UN warned on Wednesday of a drastic surge in skin infections and pest-related illnesses among displaced people across the Gaza Strip as humanitarian teams struggle to provide adequate shelter with severely limited resources.

“Teams on the ground say that pests and skin infections among people in Gaza is still on the rise,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news conference. “In March, such infections have more than tripled in our own UN-run displacement sites.”

Dujarric said the crisis is “impacting almost 10,000 people compared with about 3,000 in January,” according to figures by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.

He urged greater access for “the entry of anti-lice shampoo, lotions, hygiene supplies, pesticides and insecticides, to avert an even greater public health emergency and prevent further harm to civilians.”

On shelters, he said humanitarian partners have resorted to repurposing wooden pallets used to carry supplies into Gaza to construct emergency shelter units for displaced families.

“By the start of this week, 20 shelters of this kind had been set up across Gaza and North Gaza governorates, offering some level of privacy and dignity to families,” he added.

Dujarric reported that in March, UN partners brought in thousands of shelter items, including tens of thousands of bedding items, tarpaulins, and tents, reaching more than 45,000 families.

He stressed that “more robust and longer-lasting shelter solutions are needed,” requiring “the entry of emergency shelter equipment and materials to repair damaged homes.”

Gaza’s Government Media Office said April 14 that Israel had committed 2,400 violations of a ceasefire agreement that was signed last October, including killings, arrests, blockade measures, and starvation.

The ongoing violations have killed 784 Palestinians and wounded 2,214, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The agreement was reached after two years of a genocidal war launched by Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, with US support. The war has since continued in various forms, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians, wounding over 172,000, and causing widespread destruction affecting 90% of the infrastructure in the enclave.