THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that a “public health catastrophe” in Gaza in imminent.
Christian Lindmeier, a spokesperson for the WHO, said overcrowding, mass displacement and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure may cause a plethora of health issues as Israeli bombing continues.
Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say more than 8300 Palestinians have been killed since air strikes began following the October 7 attacks on Israel, during which Hamas militants killed 1400 people.
Ground operations into Gaza are ongoing after the Israel Defence Forces warned all civilians in northern Gaza to “temporarily relocate” last week.
An estimated 800,000 Palestinians have fled south, even though Israeli airstrikes have pounded the entirety of the besieged enclave.
According to Reuters, when asked if people were dying from complications other than those from the bombardment, Lindmeier said: "Indeed they are."
The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) warned that children in Gaza were at risk of dehydration as water output sits at just 5% of normal levels with desalination plants either damaged or lacking fuel.
A spokesperson for Unicef, James Elder, said: "Child deaths due to dehydration, particularly infant deaths due to dehydration, are a growing threat.”
He added that the costs of the conflict for children “will be borne out for decades to come”.
According to Elder, one Unicef staffer’s four-year-old daughter had begun self-harming due to the daily stress and fear.
Her mother told Elder: “I do not have the luxury to think about my children’s mental health – I just need to keep them alive”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to reject calls for a ceasefire.
