Gaza Strip - July 31, 2024

[WARNING: (Video contains) sensitive content]

Scabies and skin rashes have been spreading among thousands of displaced Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, where over one and a half million people are enduring disastrous living conditions.

Kamal Odwan Hospital, the only hospital in northern Gaza, is currently crowded with hundreds of children suffering from severe skin diseases that are racking their fragile bodies.

Heba Naji, one of the mothers of infected children, left the hospital a week ago after her child recovered from malnutrition but had to return due to another serious skin illness.

Gaza's under-pressure and dilapidated health system, facing Israeli bombing, is seeing an influx of children infected with various viral and skin infections.

Siham Al-Masry and her four children are living in horrific conditions inside a shelter for displaced people in northern Gaza, and skin diseases are ravaging the bodies of her children.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 100,000 cases of scabies and 65,000 cases of skin rashes have been recorded in the Gaza Strip, and more than a million cases of acute respiratory infections have been recorded since the war began.

Shotlist:
Gaza Strip - Recent:
1. Ambulance, medical staff outside hospital;
2. Various of children, parents at hospital;
3. Pimples on child's skin;
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Heba Naji, displaced Palestinian:
"My son was previously afflicted with malnutrition. Our living conditions during the war greatly affected him. The disease began to spread throughout his body, causing his nails to fell off and pimples to spread inside his ears and on his head. His health condition deteriorated very badly.";
5. Various of displaced Palestinians evacuating from damaged building;
6. Child with skin disease;
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hossam Abu Safia, director, Kamal Odwan Hospital:
"Today alone, we've received more than 200 children suffering from skin disease. This contagious disease spreads by touch and infects children. It spreads like wildfire due to factors such as overcrowding in shelters and lack of water for bathing, along with the absence of available treatments, which are completely missing in northern Gaza.";
8. Shelter for displaced people;
9. Palestinian woman showing pimples on child's back;
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Siham Al-Masry, displaced Palestinian:
"I am deeply troubled because I see my children every day with no improvement. The skin disease is spreading, and pimples cover their bodies. Look at our water, it is completely polluted and it is part of our suffering. We appeal to all Arab countries to feel the suffering of our children. These skin diseases are very deadly and we have no cure for them.";
11. Displaced Palestinians, kids, damaged buildings, rubbles, garbages on ground.

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