Gaza, August 9: As the conflict between Israel and Hamas drags into its tenth month, Gaza’s children face a worsening humanitarian crisis, with skin diseases and other illnesses becoming rampant. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza authorities, and the situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating rapidly.
Yasmine Al-Shanbari, a 3-year-old girl, is one of many young victims. Her face is covered in red, scratchy patches, a symptom of a skin disease exacerbated by the dire living conditions. Her father, Ahmed Al-Shanbari, describes their situation as increasingly hopeless: “The disease has been persistent for almost 10 days, and we have no medicine to treat it.”
The ongoing conflict has led to severe shortages of clean water, medicine, and functional healthcare facilities. The collapse of Gaza’s waste management system has resulted in raw sewage on the streets and piles of garbage rotting in the heat, further contributing to the spread of diseases.
Dr. Wissam al-Sakani of Kamal Adwan Hospital reports a surge in various diseases among children, including Hepatitis A and polio. “Every day, we see new diseases emerging,” he says. The World Health Organisation has raised alarms about the high risk of further disease outbreaks due to the chronic water scarcity and inadequate waste management.
The situation is further compounded by delays in humanitarian aid. Israel denies responsibility for the distribution of aid once it reaches Gaza, placing the burden on U.N. agencies and other organizations. Despite these efforts, the aid is insufficient to meet the urgent needs of the population.
Ammar al-Mashharawi, a 2-year-old with a severe rash, is another example of the dire conditions faced by Gaza’s children. His father, Ahmed, describes the situation as “indescribable,” highlighting the lack of food and medicine available to his son and other children.
As the conflict continues, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, leaving its youngest and most vulnerable citizens suffering from both the direct and indirect impacts of war.