MoSD Warns of Worsening Humanitarian and Public Health Crisis in the Gaza Strip Amid Continued Displacement and Deteriorating Living Conditions
Ramallah – The Ministry of Social Development has warned of the escalating humanitarian and public health crisis in the Gaza Strip as the summer season intensifies and temperatures continue to rise, while hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced in tents and temporary shelters that lack even the minimum standards of safety and dignified living. The ongoing repeated displacement, widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, and severe shortages of food, safe drinking water, and essential services continue to deepen the suffering of families and place the most vulnerable groups—particularly children, women, older persons, and persons with disabilities—at heightened risk.
The Ministry stated that approximately one million people are currently living in tents and temporary displacement sites, while more than 850,000 people continue to require basic shelter assistance. As temperatures rise during the summer months, these tents become uninhabitable due to the absence of ventilation, cooling, and adequate protection. Families are also facing extremely harsh living conditions resulting from overcrowding, shortages of clean water, declining food supplies, and repeated forced displacement from one location to another.
The Ministry explained that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate due to the near-total collapse of municipal and environmental services. International estimates indicate that nearly one million metric tons of solid waste have accumulated across the Gaza Strip, reflecting the extensive destruction of waste management infrastructure and sanitation systems. Rising temperatures accelerate the decomposition of waste, resulting in the release of harmful gases and foul odors, while contaminated leachate infiltrates the soil and surrounding environment, posing serious threats to public health and further exacerbating the suffering of the population.
The Ministry further noted that the destruction of approximately 76.6% of residential housing units in the Gaza Strip, the continued presence of approximately 8,500 bodies beneath the rubble, the accumulation of millions of tons of debris, and the severe shortages of clean water, food, and essential services have created an extremely hazardous environment that threatens public health and significantly increases the risk of disease outbreaks.
The Ministry also reported that approximately 1.45 million people living across 1,326 displacement sites are exposed to increasing environmental and public health risks, including more than 680,000 children, amid the severe collapse of essential public services and healthcare.
In this context, the Ministry warned of the growing spread of rodents and other disease-carrying pests in displacement camps and temporary shelters due to the accumulation of waste and deteriorating environmental conditions. These hazards are causing extensive damage to shelters, food supplies, and humanitarian assistance while further aggravating food insecurity and poor living conditions among displaced families. Available data indicate that more than 70,000 cases linked to rodents, pests, and associated environmental conditions have been recorded since the beginning of the current year, including approximately 17,000 direct cases involving bites, infections, and skin diseases. Children account for nearly 80% of these reported cases.
The Ministry stressed that the convergence of the shelter crisis with food insecurity, shortages of safe drinking water, the deterioration of health and environmental services, and rising summer temperatures poses the risk of a large-scale humanitarian and public health catastrophe that threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, particularly children, women, older persons, and persons with disabilities. It emphasized the urgent need for immediate action to meet essential needs and protect the most vulnerable populations.
The Ministry renewed its call on the United Nations, international and humanitarian organizations, and donor partners to take immediate action to facilitate the entry of shelter materials and essential humanitarian supplies, support municipalities in removing waste and debris and restoring sanitation systems, and ensure the provision of safe drinking water and other essential services. Such measures are critical to preventing further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip.