Oxfam has warned of a sharp rise in waterborne and infectious diseases in Gaza, driven by a severe lack of clean water and overflowing untreated sewage in the enclave’s streets.
Citing a World Health Organization (WHO) study, Oxfam reported that 88 percent of environmental samples tested in Gaza were contaminated with polio, posing an “imminent risk of outbreak.”
Cases of infectious diseases—including acute watery diarrhoea and respiratory infections, now the leading causes of death—are surging, with 46,000 cases, mostly among children, recorded each week.
Chickenpox, scabies, and impetigo are also spreading rapidly, particularly among displaced populations in northern Gaza suffering from extreme water shortages.
“Rebuilding water and sanitation is vital for Gaza to have a path to normalcy after 15 months of horror. The ceasefire must hold, and fuel and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives,” said Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam’s humanitarian coordinator in Gaza.
