UN, partners step up efforts to reduce health risks in Gaza

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

UN humanitarians and partners are stepping up efforts to help Gazans reduce major public health risks, including rodent infestation, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday.

Widespread rodent and ectoparasite infestations were reported in 83 percent of displacement sites assessed earlier this month, alongside sewage in streets, stagnant water and poor sanitation conditions, said OCHA.

In response, humanitarian partners are scaling up rodent control this week. The UN Development Programme and other partners are distributing nine metric tonnes of rodenticides daily, brought into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates, said the office.

"To reduce public health risks, sustained access to critical equipment and supplies such as spare parts and engine oil is urgently needed," OCHA said. "It is also critical that partners managing solid waste in Gaza are permitted to reach landfills in areas where access is restricted by Israeli forces, about 65 percent of the strip."

The office said that access to water also remains a daily challenge for families. The United Nations and its partners are trying their best to support hundreds of thousands of children and their families by providing access to essential water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at a regular briefing on Wednesday that in Khan Younis, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is supporting the construction of a central water well expected to benefit about 7,000 people. In Gaza City, UNICEF is joining efforts to clean up the Sheikh Ajleen wastewater treatment plant, which served 700,000 people before it was damaged in hostilities.

Haq said the UN Operational Satellite Applications Programme and partners estimated earlier this week that about 430,000 kindergarten and school-aged children, about 56 percent of the estimated student population, were enrolled in more than 600 temporary learning spaces across Gaza.

In some of these learning spaces, programs are under way to help children catch up ahead of the new school year, although nearly half of school-aged children still lack adequate access to learning opportunities, he said.