By Olivia Le Poidevin
GENEVA, Nov 13 (Reuters) – The World Health Organization warned on Friday of surging respiratory illnesses in Gaza, with worse expected after heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians.
“The numbers already show the pressure. Acute respiratory infections are 33,000 cases higher than at the same time last year,” Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told reporters in Geneva from Jerusalem.
Poor living conditions and severe overcrowding are driving up infections as Gaza’s population is squeezed into an ever-smaller area, WHO said. The crunch has worsened as the Israeli military expands its control by advancing the “yellow line” — a demarcation established under October’s US-brokered ceasefire.
“That means people are living in more crowded conditions, where of course the spread between humans of a virus is much more prone to spread,” Van De Weerdt explained.
The Israeli military and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
Last week COGAT said that it had stepped up efforts to improve sanitary conditions before the heavy rain, in coordination with international organisations.
Respiratory infections currently make up 11% of all consultations, with the WHO expecting cold weather, flooding, overcrowded shelters and poor ventilation to push these numbers higher.
“It is shocking that just a few days of rain really showed us what the coming months will bring. And winter has not even fully set in. The worst really is yet to come,” Van De Weerdt said.
Nearly a million displaced people in Gaza live in flood-exposed areas, and 400,000 of them are in locations that are considered at extremely high risk, according to the WHO.
The agency said flooding heightened the risk of contaminated water, while standing water gave mosquitoes and pests more places to breed. Dampness encouraged mould and bacteria that are major drivers for respiratory infections, especially in young children, it said.
While the majority of medicines are getting into Gaza, the WHO faces difficulty getting laboratory supplies, which it says are vital for diagnosing patients before they can be treated.
“To prevent outbreaks, we really call to let laboratory equipment enter Gaza today, so that we can avoid a public health disaster on top of a disaster.“
(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by William Maclean)
