Chickenpox spreads unchecked through Gaza's displacement camps
A chickenpox outbreak is spreading rapidly through Gaza's displacement camps due to severe overcrowding and a lack of clean water. Medical officials report nearly 10,000 cases among children, warning that the healthcare system is unable to respond effectively due to ongoing war-related damage and supply restrictions.
Why it matters
The outbreak highlights the critical humanitarian crisis and the collapse of public health infrastructure in a conflict zone, posing a severe threat to vulnerable populations.
Doctors in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/gaza" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/gaza">Gaza</a> have seen nearly 10,000 cases of chickenpox in the space of a few weeks, with overcrowding in displacement camps and a lack of water for basic hygiene blamed for the rapid spread of the blister-causing viral infection. “The situation requires urgent intervention,” Dr Mohammad Abu Afash, director of Medical Relief in the Gaza Strip, told <i>The National</i>. “Medicines, medical supplies, and healthcare services must be provided before the crisis worsens.” Gaza's infrastructure and health system were <a href="" target="_blank" rel="" title="">severely damaged</a> during two years of war between Israel and Hamas that devastated the Palestinian territory and forced most of the two million population from their homes. Despite a ceasefire that began last October, hospitals say they are <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/12/29/gazas-medical-system-in-free-fall-as-israeli-restrictions-persist-despite-ceasefire/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/12/29/gazas-medical-system-in-free-fall-as-israeli-restrictions-persist-despite-ceasefire/">still struggling</a> to provide proper services because of Israeli restrictions on the entry of medicines and medical equipment.
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