Cold weather, lack of access to vaccines cause record levels of disease spread in Gaza: UNRWA

New York: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of record levels of disease outbreaks in the Gaza Strip...

New York: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of record levels of disease outbreaks in the Gaza Strip due to cold waves and children being denied vaccinations, amid a near-total collapse of the health system as a result of the ongoing Israeli blockade and the prevention of the entry of basic aid, including medical supplies.

In a statement on Monday, Commissioner-General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini said that in the midst of more than two years of war on the Gaza Strip, children have been repeatedly denied the vaccines necessary to protect them from preventable diseases.

He added that the harsh winter weather is tightening its grip on Gaza, with its extreme cold, heavy rains and floods, which exacerbates the risk of disease outbreaks that have already reached record levels in the sector. He indicated that the poor water and sanitation conditions in the overcrowded shelters, and the collapse of the health system are factors that contribute to the spread of diseases in the sector.

He pointed out that UNRWA teams, in cooperation with the UNICEF, the World Health Organization and local partners, began Sunday the second round of a catch-up vaccination campaign for children under the age of three, who missed basic vaccinations during the two years of the genocidal war committed by the Israeli occupation.