News Center — Gaza's healthcare system continues to deteriorate as chickenpox spreads rapidly among displaced people living in shelters and tent camps.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported today, Thursday, July 23, that in coordination with the WHO-led Health Cluster, approximately 9,300 cases of chickenpox were reported in just two weeks following surveillance across more than 130 health facilities.

The infections were predominantly concentrated in Khan Younis Governorate, particularly in

Al-Mawasi, home to tens of thousands of displaced people living in tents with little or no access to basic services.

Health authorities attributed the sharp surge to severe overcrowding in displacement sites, the breakdown of water and sanitation services, inadequate hygiene conditions, and soaring summer temperatures—factors that have collectively accelerated transmission, especially among children.

Physicians at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis confirmed receiving dozens of new cases daily, mostly children exhibiting chickenpox symptoms. Specialists noted that the difficulty of isolating infected individuals within overcrowded camps accelerates viral transmission, particularly given that contagiousness begins prior to rash onset and persists for several days, following an incubation period of nearly two weeks.

Displaced families face formidable challenges containing the virus within their tents, where isolating sick children is nearly impossible due to cramped living spaces and extreme heat, heightened by the risk of household and community transmission.

Health reports indicate that Gaza hosts roughly 1,600 displacement shelters, with infestations of rodents, insects, and parasites detected in nearly 83% of these sites, alongside accumulating waste and sewage leaks—further compounding the threat of infectious disease outbreaks.

In the same context, health officials warned of an unprecedented surge in skin diseases, with thousands of cases reported weekly. In overcrowded environments, In overcrowded settings, a single confirmed case can quickly lead to hundreds of additional infections due to the high rate of transmission.