WHO warns of deteriorating water quality, rising disease risks in Gaza ahead of winter

The World Health Organization on Tuesday voiced concern over the deteriorating water quality and the disease risks rising with it in Gaza ahead of the upcoming winter.

"What is extremely worrying for us is that the quality of the water is deteriorating," Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, the WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, told the weekly press briefing in Geneva.

She noted that microbiological contamination has almost tripled this year, while laboratory capacity remains limited, allowing authorities to detect and track only essential microbiological contaminants in the water and the environment.

"From the more than 6,500 samples that were tested, we went from just under 6% contamination in January to almost 20% last month, just last August," Van de Weerdt said.

She then underscored that they also saw the number of acute watery diarrhea cases almost doubling "from around 30,000 cases in March to more than 58,000 in August."

Van de Weerdt also pointed to the extensive destruction across Gaza, with rubble and overcrowded towns compounded by garbage and overflowing sewage.

"The rains and the winter are just around the corner. (...) The flooding in these very overcrowded places will spread the sewage, the waste, and contaminated water into the places where people sleep, cook, and care for their loved ones," Van de Weerdt alerted.

She warned that standing water could breed mosquitoes and pests, while potentially damp, mold-infested tents could increase the risk of illnesses, particularly respiratory diseases among young children.

"What we now really need to do is protect the fragile gains we meet in health, and that means preventing at all cost disease outbreaks in the Strip. And to be ahead of this curve, we need to be able to rapidly confirm the causes of potential outbreaks," Van de Weerdt added.

She also highlighted the lack of access to essential services for amputees, noting that more than 6,600 people in Gaza are estimated to require long-term care following limb amputation as they struggle to obtain needed assistive products.

"Actually, none of these items that would allow people, including many children, to walk and live in some dignity have entered Gaza since May 2024," Van de Weerdt said.

She further called for the "unimpeded and expedited" entry of medical supplies, as well as materials for permanent shelter, reliable access to clean water and proper waste management.

Gaza's health sector has been severely weakened by Israel's genocide against Palestinians since Oct. 8, 2023.

Israel has destroyed hospitals and health facilities and prevented the entry of medicines, medical supplies and fuel, severely reducing the ability of medical facilities to provide treatment.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect last October, Israel has killed more than 1,320 Palestinians and injured more than 4,385 others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The Israeli army has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000 others in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023.