Dangerous Skin Diseases Spreading Among Children In Gaza, How Serious Is It? | Health Live

In Gaza, the combination of malnutrition and poor living conditions is causing a surge in skin diseases among children. These diseases are not only painful but can also lead to severe complications. More than 150,000 people in the Palestinian territory have contracted skin diseases due to the dire living conditions they have been forced into since the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7. Children are often seen with white and red blotches on their feet and legs, with more under their T-shirts. These skin infections range from scabies and chickenpox to lice and rashes. The primary cause of these diseases is the unhygienic living conditions; some parents report that their families sleep on the ground, on sand where worms emerge from beneath them. These families are living on a sandy patch near the sea close to the central Gaza city. The hot weather exacerbates the situation, increasing sweating and the accumulation of dirt, which causes rashes and allergies that, if scratched, lead to infections. Consequently, Gaza’s children are already highly vulnerable to disease as their immune systems are compromised by malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 96,417 cases of scabies and lice since the start of the war in Gaza, 9,274 cases of chickenpox, and 60,130 cases of skin rashes.