WHO Warns of Imminent Health Disaster in Gaza Amid Rising Respiratory Diseases and Onset of Winter

The World Health Organization has issued serious warnings about the sharp increase in respiratory infections among displaced persons in the Gaza Strip as winter approaches and heavy rains have flooded thousands of displacement tents.
The WHO emphasized that the humanitarian situation is worsening due to harsh weather conditions and severe overcrowding in shelter centers, which lack basic life necessities, accelerating the spread of infections.
The WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, Dr. Rainhilde van der Weerdt, reported an increase of approximately 33,000 acute respiratory infection cases compared to the same period last year, underscoring the extent of the health crisis.
Experts attribute this spike to poor living conditions, overcrowding, absence of adequate heating, and military restrictions by Israeli forces that have reduced available areas for displaced persons, exacerbating virus transmission.
Medical data shows respiratory infections constitute around 11% of all medical consultations in Gaza, with the WHO expecting a steady rise as cold weather and flooding continue.
The organization also warned about flood-related contamination of limited water sources and the proliferation of disease-carrying insects, particularly endangering vulnerable children and nearly 400,000 displaced people living in high-risk geographic zones.
Concluding their warnings, WHO urged the international community to urgently allow the entry of essential laboratory equipment and medical supplies to prevent wide-scale epidemics, adding to the ongoing humanitarian crises caused by occupation forces' actions in Gaza.