The United Nations warned today (Saturday) of the intensification of the spread of infectious diseases in the Gaza Strip, at a time when it warned of the continued weakness of humanitarian aid entering the Strip.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement, a copy of which was received by Xinhua News Agency, that the spread of diseases in Gaza has intensified, especially due to the recent mass displacement operations throughout the south of the Strip and the need for some families to move several times.

Ocha continued that this situation increases pressure on the already overburdened Palestinian health system, which is struggling to meet the enormous needs of the population at a time when the majority of hospitals are out of service.

The statement quoted the World Health Organization office in the Palestinian territories as saying that people living in shelters in Gaza are still suffering from the disease.

He explained that nearly 180,000 people suffer from upper respiratory infections, and there are 136,400 cases of diarrhea (half of them among children under the age of five), 55,400 cases of scabies, 5,330 cases of chicken pox, 42,700 cases of skin rashes, and 126 cases of meningitis.

The statement pointed out that 1.9 million people in Gaza, or approximately 85% of the population, have become internally displaced, adding that the lack of food and basic materials for survival and poor hygiene exacerbate the already difficult living conditions of internally displaced people, and increase protection and mental health problems. The spread of disease.

It is estimated that at least 100,000 internally displaced persons have arrived in recent days in the city of Rafah, located in the far south of the Gaza Strip, following the intensification of Israel's attacks on the central and southern Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, the UN office said that due to the major security incidents that occurred in the vicinity of the Kerem Shalom crossing since it was partially reopened on December 17, humanitarian aid through the crossing was suspended during the past four days.

He added that 81 trucks loaded with food and medicine entered Gaza yesterday (Friday) through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, at a time when the volume of aid is still completely insufficient.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that Israeli forces opened fire yesterday on an aid convoy returning from northern Gaza while it was taking a route designated by the Israeli army, damaging one vehicle.

The World Food Program warned a few days ago that the Gaza Strip is facing the fifth stage of acute food insecurity (the catastrophic threshold) and that the risk of famine is increasing daily amid intensified conflict and restricted humanitarian access.