Gaza: Dr. Ragheb Wersh Agha, Head of the Pediatrics Department at Al-Nasr and Al-Rantisi Children's Hospitals in Gaza, has warned of a dangerous surge in meningitis cases among children, with hundreds of infections reported in recent weeks.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Dr. Agha stated that the hospitals are witnessing a daily increase in cases, particularly among displaced children living in overcrowded shelters with no access to clean water or basic hygiene supplies. This situation increases the chances of the spread of diseases and epidemics.
"The healthcare system in Gaza is collapsing under the weight of a brutal blockade and systematic destruction of medical infrastructure," Dr. Agha noted. He highlighted that the situation has worsened significantly following the forced evacuation of over two-thirds of the Gaza Strip, which has forced more than 1.5 million people into extremely cramped areas lacking the most basic necessities.
Dr. Agha expressed concern that severe overcrowding is greatly increasing the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, especially meningitis, at a time when medical facilities are suffering from critical shortages of antibiotics, protective equipment, and essential supplies.
He called on international humanitarian organizations to act immediately by providing clean drinking water, urgently needed medicines, and medical equipment. Dr. Agha also emphasized the need to reinforce primary healthcare services, which now represent the first and only line of defense against potential epidemics.
Dr. Agha urged the international community to shoulder its moral and humanitarian responsibilities regarding what he described as a "complex health catastrophe" affecting civilians in the Gaza Strip. He noted that global silence in the face of such suffering only deepens the crisis and endangers the future of entire generations.
