UN aid team finds poor hygiene, widespread skin diseases among displaced people in Gaza

UNITED NATIONS - An aid team assessing needs in Gaza City has found severe hygiene challenges, including a lack of clean water, widespread skin diseases and damaged sanitation systems, UN humanitarians said Thursday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the United Nations and its partners are working to address the needs of displaced people across the Gaza Strip.

OCHA said that a team conducted needs assessments on Wednesday at two collective centers in Gaza City's Az Zaitoun neighborhood, hosting more than 200 families who recently returned.

"The team noted that hygiene conditions at these sites are extremely poor, with widespread skin diseases linked to the lack of clean water and damaged sanitation systems," the office said. "At one of the locations, residents reported repeatedly having to walk two kilometers to the nearest water point due to a shortage of containers."

OCHA said there is an urgent need to repair latrines and sewage networks to prevent leaks and contamination. Services are almost non-existent, with no medical point, mobile health team or nutrition screening available.

Additionally, the office said that displaced families at these sites reported they urgently need food, clean water, hygiene items, materials to repair water and sanitation infrastructure, and cash assistance to purchase winter clothing, shoes, tarpaulins and kitchen sets.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said its team led the medical evacuation of 41 critical patients and 145 companions out of Gaza, the first such evacuation since the Oct 10 ceasefire. The WHO said that there are still about 15,000 patients waiting for approval to receive medical care outside the strip.

Humanitarian partners said they provided protection support between Saturday and Tuesday to about 21,000 people in displaced and returnee communities. For example, approximately 3,000 children and caregivers across Gaza benefited from psychosocial first aid and support. Partners also distributed hygiene kits to more than 30 temporary learning spaces in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, with 6,800 school-age children reached so far.

The World Food Programme reported that it began distributing high-energy biscuits and fortified date bars to school-age children across 18 temporary learning spaces in Gaza on Monday.

OCHA said that on Tuesday, 147 UN and partner trucks were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings, and about two-thirds of the cargo was food aid. Other supplies included diapers, hygiene kits and tarps for emergency shelter assistance.

Also on Tuesday, at least 80 UN-coordinated truckloads of aid were collected from the crossings for distribution inside Gaza.

The UN Office for Project Services said it collected 159,000 liters of diesel from Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem on Wednesday and distributed more than 118,000 liters of diesel and over 1,200 liters of gasoline for critical humanitarian operations.