Gaza Herald – UNRWA warned that disease transmission in Gaza has reached record levels, driven by harsh winter conditions and the prolonged deprivation of routine childhood vaccinations amid the near-total collapse of the healthcare system under Israel’s ongoing blockade.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that after more than two years of genocide, children in Gaza have repeatedly been denied lifesaving vaccines, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases as cold weather, heavy rain, and flooding grip the enclave.
He noted that overcrowded shelters, deteriorating water and sanitation systems, and the breakdown of medical services have combined to accelerate the spread of illness, compounding an already dire public health emergency.
Lazzarini added that UNRWA, in coordination with UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and local partners, had launched the second phase of a catch-up vaccination campaign for children under three, stressing that the agency continues life-saving operations despite mounting constraints.
