WHO: Acute respiratory infections in Gaza rise by 33,000 cases compared to last year

Geneva -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday a rise in acute respiratory infections in the Gaza Strip by 33,000 cases compared to the same period last year, warning of worsening health and humanitarian risks as winter sets in, rains and floods continue, and displacement centers become overcrowded due to the expanding control of the Israeli occupation army over the Strip.

Rinheide van der Vliet, the WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said in a statement via video link from Jerusalem during a press conference in Geneva that the risks of waterborne diseases are increasing, particularly with the start of the rainy season, the deterioration of sewage networks, and the limited equipment allowed by the Israeli occupation to enter the Strip.

Van der Vliet noted that approximately one million displaced persons in the Gaza Strip are living in areas at risk of flooding, including 400,000 people residing in sites classified as "high-risk areas," and called for the provision of tents and shelter for the displaced.

In a related development, she expressed shock at the continued attacks by the occupation on health facilities in the Gaza Strip, despite a year having passed since the ceasefire was declared, urging the international community to take urgent action to protect healthcare workers and ensure the safety of medical facilities.

She pointed out that the attack on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Strip, resulted in the martyrdom of six Palestinians and injured at least 27 others, adding that WHO teams on the ground are continuing to assess the full impact of the attack.

She revealed that the WHO has documented more than 1,000 attacks targeting healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, which have killed more than 1,000 people and injured over 1,700 others.

Van der Vliet emphasized that the health system in the Gaza Strip is facing mounting pressures that exceed its capacity to respond to medical needs amid severe shortages of fuel and essential supplies. She stressed that the organization and its partners continue to strive to maintain the continuity of health services despite existing challenges, warning that repeated attacks on medical facilities undermine humanitarian response efforts and exacerbate the suffering of the population amid worsening health needs. (End) A.M.K. / M.N.F.