Gaza Herald _The head of the Pediatrics Department at Nasser Medical Complex, Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, said approximately 10,000 confirmed cases of chickenpox have been recorded among children in Gaza, describing the figure as unprecedented in modern Palestinian history.
In an interview with Sanad News Agency on Sunday, Al-Farra warned that children’s health conditions across the Gaza Strip are deteriorating rapidly. He said the number of chickenpox infections is expected to continue rising as the humanitarian and public health crisis worsens.
Al-Farra said a two-year-old child died in the intensive care unit at Nasser Medical Complex after suffering complications from chickenpox.
Although an effective chickenpox vaccine is widely used around the world, he noted that it has not been available in Gaza, leaving thousands of children vulnerable to infection and serious complications.
He said the outbreak comes as Gaza faces a severe decline in living conditions and healthcare services, with overcrowded displacement shelters, shortages of medicine and medical supplies, and limited access to healthcare accelerating the spread of infectious diseases.
Al-Farra also said medical teams have observed a sharp increase in child malnutrition cases. While malnutrition never completely disappeared in recent months, he said the number of cases has risen significantly.
According to Al-Farra, pediatric wards at Nasser Medical Complex are receiving a growing number of children suffering from malnutrition and its complications.
“A Health Genocide”
Al-Farra said current health indicators point to a widespread deterioration in the population’s health.
He noted that anemia affects between 50% and 55% of pregnant women in Gaza, while the miscarriage rate has climbed to nearly 47%.
He added that premature births and the number of preterm infants have increased by 35%, describing these figures as further evidence of the deepening health crisis across the Strip.
Al-Farra warned that ongoing shortages of food, medicine, and healthcare services are likely to worsen conditions further, particularly for children and pregnant women, who remain the most vulnerable groups.
He said Gaza is no longer experiencing only physical destruction but what he described as a “health genocide” targeting both the healthcare system and the civilian population, especially children, as medical services continue to collapse amid severe shortages of essential resources.
Nasser Medical Complex is also struggling with chronic electricity shortages, limited transportation for hospital staff, difficulties reaching medical facilities, and a critical lack of spare parts needed to repair medical equipment, he said. These challenges have directly reduced the hospital’s ability to provide lifesaving care.
“If these conditions continue,” Al-Farra warned, “the health crisis will deepen and more diseases will spread.”
He called for urgent international action to ensure the delivery of vaccines, medicines, and medical supplies, and to facilitate the entry of humanitarian health assistance to help protect children and patients and prevent further collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.
Widespread Outbreak
Gaza is currently experiencing a widespread outbreak of chickenpox among displaced Palestinians. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 9,300 cases were recorded over two weeks, with nearly half reported in Khan Younis Governorate.
A report by the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights attributed the rapid spread of the disease to severe overcrowding in displacement camps, a lack of clean water, and the continued deterioration of healthcare services.
The report also said that Israeli restrictions on the entry of chickenpox vaccines into Gaza have prevented thousands of children and newborns from receiving routine immunizations.
