UN Warns of Infectious Disease Outbreak in Gaza
The English section of webangah News Agency, quoting Mehr News Agency and the Palestine Information Center, reported that amid escalating heatwaves and continued Israeli attacks, the United Nations and aid organizations have issued warnings about widespread infectious disease outbreaks in Gaza.The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stated that its medical centers recieve an average of 10,300 patients weekly suffering from infectious diseases-mostly diarrhea caused by contaminated water.
According to data from humanitarian organizations, daily water allocation per person in Gaza is less than three liters-significantly below the global minimum standard of 15 liters needed for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. Restrictions imposed by the occupying regime on fuel and electricity imports have halted or drastically reduced water treatment plant operations. Combined with damage to infrastructure and main pipelines, this has severely limited access to safe water.
Mundher Shblaq, head of the Coastal Municipalities water Utility in Gaza, emphasized that drinking water production has sharply declined compared to pre-war levels. Prioritizing water supply for hospitals sometimes comes at the expense of shutting down sewage systems, increasing risks of contamination and waste accumulation in neighborhoods.
