Gaza displacement camps face chickenpox outbreak with thousands infected

Around 9,300 chickenpox cases have been recorded in Gaza's displacement camps over a two‑week period, reported by more than 130 health facilities. The UN health cluster says more than half of the cases are in Khan Younis governorate, and the outbreak coincides with over 18,000 additional skin infections such as scabies, head lice and impetigo across the Strip.

Doctors attribute the surge to extreme overcrowding in the camps, soaring summer temperatures and dwindling access to clean water. About 1.7 million people now live in over 1,600 displacement sites, with severe shortages of drinking water, hygiene supplies and sanitation services. The crowded conditions make medical advice to isolate sick children impossible, as displaced families share tiny tents.

"They said he has to be on his own, with his own mattress, his own clothes and washing, but where? We are living in a tent and there is literally no space," said Hamada Abu Ghali, a displaced father whose daughter was diagnosed with chickenpox. "Before the war we had a house and rooms, but today all of us are in one tent," he added. Another displaced resident, Ahmed Abu Hussein, described families sharing a single tent and being unable to keep ill children isolated. Health officials warn the official figures likely undercount the true scale of the outbreak.