Gaza’s children suffer as conflict fuels severe skin diseases

Yasmine Al-Shanbari, a three-year-old from Gaza, endures the chaos of war and a severe skin disease with no respite in sight. Medicine is scarce and few hospitals are operational in the Israeli-blockaded area. The prolonged conflict between Israel and Hamas has left Gaza without clean water, adequate aid, or sufficient medical supplies, causing a surge in skin diseases and other health issues.

Red, itchy patches cover Yasmine’s face. Her father, Ahmed Al-Shanbari, feels powerless as she sits in his lap in a crowded, damaged school serving as their refuge in Jabalia camp in northern Gaza. Tiny insects hover around her face, while heaps of garbage rot in the sweltering summer heat outside.

“The rash on her face has been there for almost 10 days and hasn’t improved,” Ahmed said. “We’ve tried all available medicines, hoping it would clear.”

The death toll in Gaza continues to rise, with nearly 40,000 Palestinians reported dead by local authorities. Hamas triggered the conflict on October 7 when militants crossed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.

Skin diseases are not the only ailment spreading in this densely populated region. “Yesterday, we were discussing hepatitis; today, it’s contagious skin diseases. New illnesses emerge daily among children,” said Dr. Wissam al-Sakani, spokesperson for Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concerns about the spread of Hepatitis A and polio among children. “U.N. agencies warned of the high risk of further infectious diseases in Gaza due to chronic water shortages and inadequate waste management,” it stated in a recent report.

Yasmine Al-Shanbari, 3, is not only suffering from the upheaval of war all around her. She is one of many children in Gaza ravaged by skin disease with no relief in sight, with medicine scarce and few hospitals functioning in the besieged enclave https://t.co/cluJq8fGAb pic.twitter.com/1wWJmeYtLd

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 8, 2024

The waste management system in Gaza has collapsed. Trash piles up in the intense summer heat. Sewage flows on the streets as people queue for hours to use the toilets.

Israel denies responsibility for delays in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, stating that the U.N. and other organisations are responsible for its distribution once inside the territory.

Ammar al-Mashharawi, a two-year-old, also suffers from a severe rash covering his face and body. He is being treated at Kamal Adwan Hospital, which was hit by Israeli missiles in May. “Look at him, his whole body is affected. We have been to several hospitals seeking medicine for him,” said Ammar’s father Ahmed, holding his crying son while medical staff attended to him.

“We adults manage somehow, but the children, God help them, lack food and medicine. The situation is beyond words,” Ahmed added.