The United Nations has warned of a sharp increase in chickenpox cases across the Gaza Strip, attributing the surge to worsening humanitarian conditions, severe overcrowding, and deteriorating sanitation in displacement sites.

In its latest Humanitarian Situation Report, issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the organization said nearly 9,300 cases of chickenpox were recorded across more than 130 health facilities over a two-week period, with approximately half of the infections reported in Khan Younis.

The UN said the outbreak reflects the increasingly dire public health situation facing Gaza's displaced population.

"Partners link this surge to deteriorating environmental conditions, overcrowding, sanitation and hygiene gaps, alongside the summer season," the report stated.

According to OCHA, the rapid spread of the disease is occurring in an environment where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians continue to live in densely populated shelters with limited access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and basic healthcare.

The report warned that the worsening health crisis is being fueled by unsanitary living conditions and mounting environmental hazards.

"The rise in reported chickenpox cases is occurring in a displacement environment already marked by severe overcrowding, deteriorating hygiene conditions, and widespread environmental health hazards," the report said.

The UN also highlighted widespread infestations of rodents and ectoparasites, which have been reported in 83 percent of assessed displacement sites, further increasing the risk of communicable diseases.

Health officials said sewage flowing through streets, accumulated solid waste, stagnant water, and inadequate sanitation infrastructure continue to create conditions conducive to the spread of infectious illnesses.

Humanitarian agencies have warned that Gaza's healthcare system remains under immense strain, with shortages of medicines, vaccines, medical supplies, and healthcare personnel limiting the ability to respond effectively to disease outbreaks.

The United Nations has reiterated its call for increased humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, stressing the urgent need to improve water, sanitation, hygiene, and healthcare services to prevent further deterioration of public health conditions.

Aid organizations continue to warn that without sustained humanitarian assistance and improved living conditions, the risk of additional outbreaks of communicable diseases is likely to increase in the coming weeks. (ILKHA)