DUBAI: Gaza’s worsening sanitation crisis is giving rise to a new and deeply alarming threat, the rapid spread of rats throughout displacement camps and urban areas.
According to reporting by the New Arab and footage emerging from the enclave, as infrastructure collapses under the strain of Israel’s ongoing assault, piles of uncollected waste, sewage leaks, and overcrowded living conditions have created an environment where rodents are thriving.
The World Health Organization told Arab News recently that the failure to solve the Gaza crisis was leading to acute health risks and the spread of disease, which would result in long-term consequences.
“The collapse of Gaza’s water, sanitation and waste systems has created acute public health risks, primarily waterborne and mosquito‑borne diseases,” the WHO said in a statement.
“Raw sewage, accumulated solid waste and overcrowded shelters are driving sharp increases in acute watery diarrhea, acute jaundice syndrome, skin diseases, and respiratory infections — all of which spread rapidly in conditions of contamination and overcrowding.”
The WHO warned that untreated sewage seeping into groundwater, combined with the accumulation of waste, was creating the perfect environment for pests, pathogens and toxins to thrive.
“Malnourished and displaced populations — especially children — are already more vulnerable to severe disease outcomes,” the WHO said.
In one of the most disturbing incidents reported by the New Arab, a 30-day-old baby, Adam Al-Ostaz, was bitten by a rat while sleeping inside his family’s tent in Gaza City.
His mother described waking up to his screams in the middle of the night, only to find blood on his face.
The family later discovered a large rat hiding inside the tent. The newborn was rushed to hospital, where doctors described stabilizing him as “a race against time.”
“Children and infants are at extremely high risk of dehydration, severe diarrhea, and rapid deterioration from waterborne infections — especially amid widespread malnutrition,” the WHO added.
“For older people and those with chronic conditions, contaminated water and poor hygiene increase risks of complications from respiratory disease, skin infections, and wound infections — conditions that are already harder to manage given the severe shortages of medicines, clean water and functioning health facilities documented by WHO.”
Since October 2023 the Israeli military has heavily damaged or destroyed a vast majority of the water and sanitation infrastructure in Gaza. An estimated 80 to 90 percent of the system is either destroyed, severely damaged, or non-functional.
Moreover, the partial and full blockade of the strip during that time has resulted in acute shortages of sanitary and health supplies.
The WHO stressed that without radical intervention, the situation in Gaza would worsen. There should be access to safe water through trucks, chlorination supplies and rapid repair of key pipelines, the organization said.
In addition, there should be expanded disease surveillance to detect and respond quickly to outbreaks. And more provision of essential medicines, including antibiotics, oral rehydration salts, intravenous fluids, and infection‑control supplies.
The WHO said there must be further provision of hygiene materials, including soap, disinfectants, and sanitation kits, as well as pest-control in the remaining health facilities.
“The WHO stresses that restoring water, sanitation and health services is as critical as medical care itself — population‑wide disease control cannot be achieved without these essential services.”
