The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is worsening as rats and parasites spread rapidly across overcrowded displacement areas, contributing to a sharp rise in skin infections and disease risks.
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), more than 125,000 cases of skin infections linked to rats and parasites were reported between January and May 2026. Hundreds of UNRWA medical workers are currently treating around 400 patients daily, but the agency says shortages of medicines and medical supplies are limiting the response.
The agency has called for humanitarian and medical supplies to be allowed into Gaza “at scale.”
Multiple organizations have repeatedly warned that the collapse of sanitation systems and restricted access to clean water are creating conditions for wider outbreaks of infectious diseases across the territory.