Gaza health official warns of crisis as storms flood tents
Around 70,000 tents were flooded in a recent storm, while shortages of medicines, heating and diagnostic equipment deepen the health crisis in Gaza.
A health official in Gaza warned on Wednesday that the health and humanitarian situation in the territory is worsening, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Bashar Murad, director of health programs at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza, said around 70,000 tents were flooded during a recent storm, affecting tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Speaking to Voice of Palestine radio, Murad said rainwater mixing with sewage in displacement camps threatens to spread diseases and epidemics.
He said cases of upper respiratory tract infections and meningitis have increased as temperatures fall, while many people lack winter clothing and heating.
Murad said Gaza has no MRI machines and only a limited number of CT scanners.
He also highlighted shortages of medical solutions and laboratory supplies, adding that several laboratories have stopped operating.
Murad warned that the inability to carry out basic medical tests, especially for patients with chronic illnesses, makes diagnosis and treatment monitoring harder and puts patients' lives at risk.
Much of Gaza's population has been displaced since the war began in October 2023, and many families have relied on tents and temporary shelters since then.
Aid agencies have repeatedly raised concerns about getting medicines and shelter materials into the territory in sufficient quantities.
