Widespread infections in Gaza as 17,000 rodent-linked cases recorded since start of year
World Health Organization staff during a field visit to a displacement camp in Gaza
The Palestine Chronicle reports on 25 April 2026:
Key Developments
- WHO reports over 17,000 infections linked to rodents and parasites among displaced Palestinians.
- Gaza’s health sector sustains $1.4 billion in damage, with over 1,800 facilities destroyed.
- More than 80% of displacement sites report pest infestations and widespread skin infections.
The World Health Organization reported on Friday that more than 17,000 cases of infections linked to rodents and external parasites have been recorded among displaced Palestinians in Gaza since the beginning of the year.
The figures were presented during a United Nations press briefing in Geneva, where WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, Dr. Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, detailed the scale of the crisis facing Gaza’s collapsing health system. She said that damage to the health sector alone is estimated at $1.4 billion, with more than 1,800 health facilities partially or completely destroyed.
These include major hospitals, primary healthcare centers, clinics, pharmacies, and laboratories, leaving the system severely constrained in its ability to respond.
The destruction has not only reduced medical capacity but also contributed directly to the spread of disease. “Destroyed buildings and mountains of accumulated waste had created ideal breeding grounds for rodents and pests,” Van de Weerdt said, linking the environmental conditions to rising infection rates among displaced communities.
Widespread Infections
According to WHO data, around 80 percent of approximately 1,600 displacement sites report frequent and visible rodent and pest presence. More than 80 percent of these sites have also recorded skin infections, including lice and bed bugs, underscoring the extent of deteriorating sanitation conditions.