Richard Peppercorn, the organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, said: “We are very concerned about the spread of diseases when the winter season arrives.”
He added that more than 70,000 cases of acute respiratory infection and more than 44,000 cases of diarrhea had been detected in the densely populated Gaza Strip, indicating that the numbers are much higher than expected, according to Reuters.
The World Health Organization previously warned of “worrying patterns” in the spread of diseases in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli bombing and ground attacks, which have continued for more than 40 days, have undermined the health system, impeded access to clean water, and also led to people overcrowding in shelters.
The start of the rainy season and the possibility of floods have increased fears of the exhaustion of the sewage network in the besieged, densely populated sector, and the spread of diseases.
The lack of fuel has already led to the closure of sewage and water desalination plants, increasing the risk of water pollution and disease outbreaks.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday that about 813,000 displaced people reside in at least 154 shelter centers run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
The office warned that “overcrowding leads to the spread of diseases, including acute respiratory diseases and diarrhea, which raises environmental and health concerns.”
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