The United Nations has warned that a new public health crisis is emerging in Gaza, as skin diseases spread in crowded camps throughout the enclave, with fears that the situation could soon worsen during the summer.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said the number of skin infections has tripled in recent months, with rising temperatures, overcrowding and worsening sanitation creating a breeding ground for scabies, chickenpox and other diseases, particularly among children.

As summer approaches, families and healthcare officials are desperate to avoid a repeat of 2024, when at least 150,000 people in Gaza suffered from skin conditions, largely due to shortages in medical equipment brought about by Israel’s genocidal war on the territory.

While a “ceasefire” has been in place in the Gaza Strip since October 2025, Israel has continued to strike the territory and enforced a blockade that has severely limited the import of essential medical equipment.

“We searched all the land across the Strip; it’s filled with displaced people,” said Fawzi al-Najjar, a displaced Palestinian living in one of Gaza’s refugee camps. “There are a million people crammed on top of each other. And we came here to live on top of a garbage dump. This is a huge problem. What are we supposed to do? Dogs, cats, fleas, and rats … look at my hand!”

With few medical supplies available, Palestinians, like al-Najjar, are having to resort to homemade remedies to treat their loved ones, while health officials’ efforts to halt the spread of the diseases are being severely constrained by the Israeli blockade.