Palestinian Health Minister: Gaza Strip Faces Epidemic Threat as Rodents Spread
Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan, the Palestinian Minister of Health, warned of escalating health risks facing the residents of the Gaza Strip due to the widespread rodent infestation, exacerbated by deteriorating environmental conditions resulting from the destruction and accumulation of large quantities of rubble and uncovered waste.
Minister Abu Ramadan stated in a press release issued today: “The spread of rats and mice contributes to the transmission of numerous serious diseases, whether directly through bites or indirectly through urine and feces, or via parasites such as fleas and ticks. Among the most prominent of these diseases are Hantavirus, plague, leptospirosis (rat fever), salmonella (food poisoning), and tularemia.” Minister Abu Ramadan called upon the World Health Organization and all international health bodies to intervene urgently by providing rodent control materials and supporting all preventative measures, especially given that more than one million citizens live in tents or in the open, making them directly vulnerable to these risks. In a related context, Abu Ramadan noted, on the occasion of Palestinian Children’s Day, which falls on April 5th, that approximately 47% of the Gaza Strip’s population are children under the age of 18, suffering from a severe lack of healthcare and social services. He warned of catastrophic consequences should rodent-borne epidemics spread. He also pointed out that thousands of children have suffered permanent disabilities as a result of the war, with some losing limbs or their sight and hearing. In addition to widespread malnutrition, which exacerbates the already dire health situation and increases the likelihood of death among them.
The Minister of Health expressed his deep concern for the lives and future of infants and children in Gaza, calling on the international community to take urgent action to save them and improve their health and living conditions.
التاريخ 4-4-2026
