DaysofPal — Gaza’s healthcare system has entered a stage of “complete and sustained collapse” in medicines and medical supplies, raising fears of an impending epidemic disaster, according to medical relief officials in the territory due to the ongoing Israeli genocide and suffocating siege upon the Gaza Strip.
Mohammed Abu Afash, Director of Medical Relief in northern Gaza, warned on Saturday that the ongoing blockade has led to a critical breakdown in healthcare services, leaving hospitals and clinics unable to meet even the most basic needs.
Health teams have recorded more than 9,300 cases of infectious skin diseases, including chickenpox, scabies, and lice, over just two weeks, spread across 130 health centers in Gaza.
Abu Afash cautioned that the situation could spiral out of control, particularly in overcrowded displacement shelters, if essential treatments remain unavailable.
He also highlighted a growing spread of gastrointestinal illnesses linked to contaminated food and unsafe drinking water, compounding the already dire public health conditions.
Medical officials reported a complete depletion of medications for chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart conditions in both hospitals and private pharmacies.
Kidney patients are also facing life-threatening risks due to shortages of dialysis solutions and restrictions on the entry of spare parts needed to maintain medical equipment.
The crisis is further exacerbated by rising rates of acute malnutrition, driven by severe food shortages.
Abu Afash noted that weakened immune systems, especially among children and pregnant women, are increasing vulnerability to disease outbreaks.
Summer heat has intensified environmental hazards, with damaged sewage systems, mounting waste, and the spread of insects contributing to deteriorating sanitary conditions.
Despite these challenges, field medical teams continue to operate with minimal resources.
Separately, Bassam Zaqout, Director of Medical Relief in Gaza, warned that restrictions on border crossings and the lack of medical supplies are placing thousands of wounded and chronically ill patients at immediate risk of death.
Officials from Gaza’s Health Ministry have previously stated that around 50 percent of healthcare services are no longer operational, while the remaining facilities are functioning under extreme strain.
Medical relief organizations also warned that laboratories are on the verge of shutting down due to shortages of essential chemicals required to operate diagnostic equipment.
Aid delivered through international organizations, including the World Health Organization, reportedly covers only a fraction of the sector’s needs.
According to officials, 26 out of Gaza’s 38 hospitals are currently out of service due to direct damage or fuel shortages, reflecting a humanitarian and medical catastrophe “beyond description.”
Earlier warnings from the Ministry of Social Development highlighted the worsening crisis as summer temperatures rise, with approximately one million displaced people living in tents and tens of thousands of reported cases of disease across the enclave.
Humanitarian officials say the combination of collapsing healthcare infrastructure, widespread displacement, and limited aid access is creating conditions ripe for large-scale outbreaks unless urgent intervention is undertaken.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=75953
