DaysofPal — A senior pediatric specialist in Gaza has warned of a rapidly worsening health crisis among children, citing the spread of infectious diseases and a sharp rise in malnutrition amid the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel’s suffocating blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Ahmed al-Farra, head of the Pediatrics Department at Nasser Medical Complex, said approximately 10,000 confirmed cases of chickenpox have been recorded among children, a figure he described as unprecedented in recent Palestinian history.
Al-Farra warned that infections are likely to increase further as living conditions and healthcare services continue to deteriorate across the Gaza Strip.
He confirmed that a two-year-old child recently died in intensive care after developing severe complications from chickenpox, underscoring the seriousness of the outbreak.
Al-Farra noted that although a globally approved vaccine for chickenpox exists, it has not been made available in Gaza, leaving thousands of children vulnerable to infection and potentially life-threatening complications under Israel’s suffocating blockade.
He attributed the rapid spread of the disease to worsening humanitarian conditions, including overcrowded displacement shelters, the collapse of healthcare services, and critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
Medical teams, he added, are also witnessing a renewed surge in child malnutrition.
Although malnutrition had remained a persistent concern in recent months, cases are now rising at an alarming rate.
Pediatric units at Nasser Medical Complex are receiving an increasing number of children suffering from severe malnutrition and its associated complications, placing even greater strain on Gaza’s already overwhelmed healthcare system.
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