Chicken pox hits Gaza

Thousands of displaced children in Gaza are facing a growing health emergency as chickenpox spreads rapidly through overcrowded camps, adding pressure to a healthcare system already struggling after years of conflict.

Health officials have recorded more than 9,300 suspected cases among children across 130 health facilities by early July, with over half of the infections reported in the densely populated Khan Younis area.

Meanwhile, Aid agencies say the outbreak is being fuelled by shortages of medicines and medical supplies, limited access to clean water, poor sanitation and the inability to isolate infected patients in crowded displacement camps.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, spreading easily through coughing, sneezing or direct contact with an infected person’s blisters.