Amman, Jordan, May 21, 2026 — Gaza continues to face a severe and unaddressed public health crisis, with collapsed sanitation systems, extreme overcrowding, and widespread rodent and insect infestations exposing civilians to disease and further suffering amid soaring temperatures, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns.
In displacement camps and overcrowded shelters, families are reporting rising cases of skin diseases, lice infestations, and heat-related illnesses, while poor waste management, sewage overflow and rodent infestations are creating dangerous environmental conditions. Rodent-borne diseases, including hantavirus, pose a significant risk and require urgent prevention and surveillance measures. The crisis is being compounded by shortages of lubricant oil which has been prevented from entering Gaza. This is resulting in an inability to operate water and sanitation systems, resulting in increasing sewage overflow and the further breakdown of already overwhelmed infrastructure.
Scott Lea, IRC’s Interim Country Director for the occupied Palestinian territory, said:
“People that the IRC and our partners support continue to tell us about the devastating living conditions inside displacement camps. Families describe severe rodent and insect infestations, unbearable heat inside damaged tents, and a lack of shaded communal spaces, leaving children suffering from dehydration, skin irritation, and heat exhaustion. Many caregivers say children remain confined to unsafe shelters because there are no safe spaces to play and families fear for their safety outside.
“People are telling us they feel stripped of dignity, safety, and hope. Women and mothers are trying to care for their families in impossible conditions, while sewage overflows and sanitation systems continue to collapse around them. Without urgent improvements in water, sanitation, shelter, and humanitarian access, civilians will remain exposed to worsening health risks and increasingly inhumane living conditions.”
Many shelters including tents and houses have been significantly damaged and deteriorated and are no longer fit for safe living, with widespread shortages of bedding and essential household items adding to the strain on displaced families. Families are increasingly resorting to harmful coping mechanisms, including child labor, as economic pressures intensify following the loss of household breadwinners.
Women, children, older people, and persons with disabilities continue to face heightened risks. Shared sanitation facilities such as showers and toilets remain dangerously overcrowded, lack privacy, and are often inaccessible for elderly people and persons with disabilities. Women and girls report severe menstrual hygiene challenges, with many reducing water intake or avoiding facilities altogether due to poor conditions and safety concerns. The absence of lighting around latrines at night further increases protection risks for women and children.
While the world's attention is focused on the politics surrounding the war in the Middle East, the lives of those living in Gaza continue to deteriorate. Humanitarians have the ability to provide the support that families need, but cannot do so without rapid and unimpeded delivery of aid. What is needed now is the full opening of all border crossings into Gaza alongside the lifting of restrictions so that humanitarians can bring in urgent supplies of medical equipment, hygiene materials, fuel and shelter items.