UN: People of Gaza face rising risk of infectious diseases
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has announced that Palestinians in Gaza, whom Israel has forcibly left hungry and thirsty while blocking the entry of aid, are facing an increasing risk of infectious diseases.
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UNRWA made a statement on its X social media account regarding the humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel in Gaza, where attacks continue.
"Hunger, disease, and death are haunting the people in Gaza," the statement said, emphasizing that trash is piling up among the makeshift shelters in the city of Rafah, where 1.5 million people fleeing Israeli attacks have taken refuge.
The statement pointed out that the risk of infectious diseases is high and that there is a worrying increase in diarrhea and hepatitis A outbreaks.
Israel has been continuing its air, land, and sea attacks on the Gaza Strip, where approximately 2.3 million Palestinians live, since October 7, 2023.
Due to the attacks, 34,262 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and 77,229 Palestinians have been injured to date.
Due to the attacks, 1.9 million Palestinians have also been displaced in Gaza. Due to the difficulties created by Israel, sufficient aid cannot be delivered to the region. Palestinians are struggling against Israeli attacks on one hand and hunger that deepens every day on the other.
The UN had warned that 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip, which is under intense Israeli attack, are facing the threat of famine.
According to the UN, 378,000 people in Gaza are facing level 5 hunger, known as "catastrophe" according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale, and 939,000 people are facing level 4 hunger, known as "emergency."
It is reported that Palestinians living especially in northern Gaza are forced to grind and consume animal feed because they cannot find flour.