GAZA: HEAVY RAINS FLOOD CAMPS RAISING RISK OF DISEASE FOR 235,000 CHILDREN

Toronto, November 29, 2024 – About 235,000 children forced from their homes by bombs, bullets and displacement orders in Gaza are facing increasing risk of disease as days of heavy rains flood tents and turn camps into swamps, Save the Children said.

Restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on the entry of humanitarian supplies to help prepare communities for the rainy season have left 500,000 people – almost half of whom are children – in areas that are being flooded with dirty water and sewage.

Save the Children said that stocks of supplies that would help children and families soaking and freezing are stuck at the border as the aid organisation awaits approval from Israeli authorities.

With restrictions on aid at an all-time high and the World Food Programme announcing earlier this week that the only remaining bakeries in central Gaza had been forced to shut down due to severe supply shortages, malnutrition and disease have become the norm for children there, Save the Children said.

The UN said earlier this week that of the total number of children admitted for outpatient treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of 2024, two thirds were recorded in the past five months.

Mariam*, a nutrition consultant with Save the Children who works in the flood-affected camps, said:

“A 15-minute trip would take an hour, walking in sewage and rough landscape. Now that we are in winter, most of the tents are uninhabitable . It’s mainly because the tents are made of cloth and similar materials, and the ground is dust and mud, so tents get flooded within five minutes of rain.

“People’s situation is miserable. A dire situation in terms of health, mental health and immunity. A mother came in today and apologized for being late. Why? Because it was raining through the night and their tent was flooded. The family had to go outside, and she had to carry the children until the rain stopped. Then they swept the water out and went back inside.

“Some people had to flee because big ponds were formed due to rain. It’s a tragic situation.”

Eman*, another nutrition consultant with Save the Children, said:

“It took me two hours to go from where I live to where I work. As I walked into the camp where I work, people’s tents collapsed on the ground. Their clothes and bedding were all soaked in water. They were all desperately seeking any spot of sun to put their belongings to dry to start their day.”

With the destruction of the healthcare system, children in Gaza are unable to receive the lifesaving health care they need in the face of these risks, Save the Children said.

Back in August 2024, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that 60% of essential medicines and 83% of medical disposables had been completely depleted from their stocks. Since then medical supplies and equipment have continued to be delayed or turned away at borders. Safety concerns for aid workers are also impeding the delivery of assistance to families in need.

For the harsh conditions in the camps, there is a shortage of tents and sealing kits to make them more resistant to winter weather, as well as adequate winter clothing for children – many of whom are freezing as they do not have proper clothes. While winter supplies are available in the market, they are limited in quantity and difficult to access due to high prices and a lack of cash liquidity.

Save the Children said that it has all these items waiting in warehouses at the border as the aid organisation awaits approval from the Israeli authorities to bring them into Gaza.

The healthcare crisis in Gaza has left children more vulnerable to future health challenges. Their weakened immune systems, untreated conditions, and a lack of preventive care will force them to be susceptible to diseases and health complications in the future.

Jeremy Stoner, Regional Director for Save the Children, said:

“Children in Gaza are not only losing their lives, their limbs and their loved ones –  they are also fleeing their bombed-out homes for camps with conditions less and less fit for human life, as we see more and more restrictions on aid. As this deadly war has shattered the lives and futures of children for over a year now, we have seen access to critical things like food, healthcare and sanitation stripped away. Now for many children, all they have is ruined bits of tent material swimming in swamp water in the camp they fled to for safety.”

Save the Children is calling for an immediate and definitive ceasefire as the only way to save lives in Gaza and end grave violations of children’s rights.

The child rights organisation is also calling for an immediate end to the denial of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which is a crime and a grave violation against children.

Save the Children has been working in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 1953 and has a permanent presence in Gaza. We are the third largest cash assistance provider in Gaza, providing money to families so they can buy food and any other essentials. Alongside local partners, we’re distributing vital supplies to families across shelters and households – drinking water, food, hygiene products, mattresses, blankets and winter kids, learning materials, toys, and games.

ENDS

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