Rats and weasels infest camps for displaced Gazans, sparking public health crisis

Locals warn that warmer spring weather will likely increase pest numbers, further elevating health hazards in overcrowded camps with raw sewage and piles of rubbish nearby.

A grandmother with diabetic nerve damage recounts parts of her toes being bitten by pests, illustrating the direct and lasting health impacts in overcrowded camps.

Mayaseen receives a tetanus injection at a Gaza City hospital but later suffers several days of fever and vomiting and is now recovering in her family’s tent.

Rizq Abu Laila, a resident near a rubbish dump in Gaza City, says his family cannot sleep because rats and weasels invade tents, tearing clothing and eating supplies, while children are exposed to bites and other health risks.

The article reports widespread infestations of rats, weasels, and other pests in camps for displaced Gazans, highlighting health risks, calls from aid workers for urgent sanitation actions, and statements from officials about coordination with international organizations to address sanitation needs.

The Israeli defence body Cogat says it has recently allowed humanitarian groups to bring in nearly 1,000 rat traps and almost 10 tons of pesticides into Gaza to counter the pest problem.

UN agencies say improvements in pest control, drainage, and sanitation are needed, with UNICEF's Ettie Higgins calling for a very large-scale campaign to manage waste and rubble, fix destroyed pipes and wastewater facilities, and scale up support for wastewater management.

A recent survey cited by UN agencies found that rodents or pests are visibly present in 80% of sites where displaced families live, affecting about 1.45 million people.

According to the World Health Organization, there have been about 111,500 cases of disease or infestation due to external parasites this year, with more than four-fifths of households in Gaza reporting skin infections and rashes.

The article references the Gaza war triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack and notes that more than six months after a US-brokered ceasefire, improvements in the humanitarian situation remain limited, with ongoing airstrikes and stalled reconstruction.