Gaza Doctor Warns of Worsening Skin and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

DID Press: A dermatologist with the Palestine Red Crescent Society has warned of a significant increase in skin and infectious diseases among displaced people in the Gaza Strip, amid worsening living and health conditions.

Dr. Raed Abu Serriya, a dermatology consultant with the Palestine Red Crescent, said severe overcrowding in displacement camps and shelters has created conditions conducive to the spread of disease. He said many tents house between 15 and 20 displaced people, while access to clean water, cleaning supplies and basic hygiene products remains severely limited.

Abu Serriya said he personally examines between 150 and 200 patients with skin conditions every day at Red Crescent and Ministry of Health clinics, adding that other doctors are seeing similar numbers of cases.

He said isolating infected patients to prevent transmission has become almost impossible because more than 80% of hospital and health-center infrastructure has been damaged, while a severe shortage of hospital beds continues to limit the healthcare system’s capacity.

The warning is consistent with findings from health organizations and recent research. The World Health Organization and UNICEF have identified overcrowding, inadequate water and sanitation, disrupted healthcare services and weakened health infrastructure as major factors increasing the risk of infectious-disease transmission in Gaza.

A 2026 study published in Scientific Reports, involving 409 children in central Gaza, found high rates of impetigo and scabies among participants and linked the infections to overcrowding and limited access to clean water and sanitation.