JAKARTA - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said over the weekend that at least 10 people in the Gaza Strip had died in the past 24 hours due to heavy rains, while thousands of displaced Palestinian families took refuge in tents with little protection from the harsh winter conditions.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on social media that the combination of exposure to extreme weather, inadequate water and sanitation, and crowded living conditions is likely to cause a surge in acute respiratory infections, including influenza, as well as hepatitis and diarrheal diseases.
He said the WHO continues to face obstacles in sending laboratory reagents and diagnostic equipment to Gaza, noting that many supplies have been refused entry after being classified as dual-use goods, Anadolu reported (15/12).
Tedros further called for the immediate entry of these essential materials, saying that these materials are essential for timely detection, response and treatment of people facing outbreaks of disease in the Palestinian enclave.
As previously reported, Hurricane Byron, which hit Gaza last week, raised an alarm about the conditions of refugees in tents that were flooded and exposed to cold weather. This condition caused a number of people to die, including toddlers in the midst of worrying refugee conditions.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of the impact of Hurricane Byron on Gaza, which has been devastated by the Israeli war.
"People who have lost everything and need everything face another layer of suffering," said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in a post on X.
"More difficulties for refugee families living in emergency shelters with rain that brings floods, damage, and additional health threats," he added.
Meanwhile, the number of Palestinian deaths due to the latest conflict in Gaza with Israel broke out on October 7, 2023 continues to increase, despite the ceasefire agreement reached last October.
Medical sources in Gaza confirmed on Sunday that the number of Palestinian casualties in the region had reached 70,663 people, the majority of whom were women and children, quoted from WAFA.
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Local health authorities also reported that the total number of injured victims had risen to 171,139, with many victims still trapped under the rubble, and emergency teams and rescuers could not reach them.
Since the ceasefire agreement on October 10, 2025, a total of 391 deaths and 1,063 injuries have been recorded, and 632 bodies have been found.
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