Red Cross spokesman in Gaza told Al-Ittihad: 1.5 million displaced people in Rafah face catastrophic health conditions.

Shaaban Bilal (Gaza, Cairo)
The spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip, Hisham Muhanna, warned of the spread of diseases and epidemics among hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Gaza Strip, especially in the city of Rafah, stressing that the absence of health care and unprecedented crowding have serious repercussions on public health in the Strip.
Muhanna said in exclusive statements to “Al-Ittihad” that the catastrophic humanitarian conditions are the headline of the scene in the Gaza Strip, especially after the massive displacement cases and the largest crowd in the city of Rafah, with a number of up to 1.5 million people, most of whom live in tents or semi-tents, isolated from basic services such as drinking water, food, and services. Sewage.

Muhanna explained that the absence of energy sources caused the disruption of the work of water desalination and sewage treatment plants, which disrupts the processes of treating solid waste and sewage that accumulate in the streets and roads where people live, which contributes to the spread of epidemics and diseases.
According to the World Health Organization, fuel shortages have led to the closure of desalination plants, which has greatly increased the risk of the spread of bacterial infections, such as diarrhea, as people drink contaminated water. Fuel shortages have also led to the disruption of all solid waste collection, creating an environment Favorable for the rapid and widespread spread of insects and rodents that can transmit or mediate diseases.
Muhanna pointed out the lack of personal space due to overcrowding and the lack of personal hygiene means in the required quantities, in addition to the huge rise in prices due to inflation resulting from the war, which prompted families to buy food instead of hygiene means, and limited access to bathrooms, as there is one bathroom for every 900 people. In Rafah, in addition to the scarcity of drinking water, the per capita daily intake does not exceed 3 liters, of which two liters are not fit for human consumption.
Muhanna stated that these crises exacerbate the public health crisis in the Gaza Strip in light of the lack of effective health care systems or diagnosis of diseases, in addition to the lack of treatment, and with the number of deaths and injuries continuing to rise due to the escalation of hostilities, severe crowding in shelters and system disruption. Health, water and sanitation systems have added to the risk of the rapid spread of infectious diseases, and these worrying trends are beginning to emerge.
More than 1.5 million displaced people live in overcrowded shelters with no access to personal hygiene facilities and safe water, which increases the risk of transmission of infectious diseases.