Gaza: Rat and Pest Infestation Puts Two in Three Children at Risk of Infection
05.05.2026 | from Save the Children
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05.05.2026, As temperatures rise, rats, mice, and insects have infested displaced shelters in the Gaza Strip in large numbers in recent weeks, exacerbating the health risks for approximately 1.4 million people living in crowded emergency shelters, Save the Children reports.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in 1326 out of 1644 emergency shelters inspected in mid-April, rodents or pests were often observed – that accounts for over 80%. Skin infections or rashes were reported in almost two-thirds of the shelters, lice in over 65%, and bedbugs in more than half. Children make up about 47% of the population in the Gaza Strip. This means that around 680,000 children – about two-thirds of all children in Gaza – live in shelters infested with rodents or pests.
Rodents gnaw through tents and contaminate food supplies, with little safe storage available. The situation is expected to worsen as temperatures continue to rise. Save the Children staff have spoken with families who cannot sleep at night out of fear their children might be bitten by rats. Such incidents have already been reported this year.
The Israeli military blockade prevents aid and commercial goods from entering the Gaza Strip. Consequently, families have no access to pesticides to control infestations. When these products are occasionally available on the market, they are unaffordable. As a result, families often resort to ineffective methods, such as trying to catch the animals with sticks or using simple glue traps.
The health, water, and sanitation system in the Gaza Strip has been largely destroyed by over two years of war. Overcrowded shelters surrounded by debris and waste mountains have become breeding grounds for diseases. The accumulation of waste promotes the proliferation of rodents and pests, which in turn spread diseases like scabies, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Children, especially toddlers under five years, and children weakened by malnutrition, are particularly susceptible to these diseases.
"My heart breaks to see the makeshift tents along my entire work route. These shelters are arbitrarily erected on damaged infrastructure, exposing people constantly to risks from sewage, rodents, and pests," says Shurouq, Multimedia Manager for Save the Children in the Gaza Strip.
"The health and sanitation system in Gaza is destroyed. When it rains, untreated sewage flows through the streets and is regularly dumped into the sea. I struggle to find water, and people have no choice but to fish and swim in the sea, thus exposing themselves to risks," Shurouq continues.
Save the Children calls for unrestricted humanitarian access at all times. As an occupying power, Israel is obligated to ensure that the humanitarian needs of the occupied population are met. The 'ceasefire plan' does not fulfill its humanitarian provisions. Israel must urgently lift the siege and ensure all border crossings are open and fully operational. Restrictions on humanitarian goods must be lifted and essential services resumed to allow for rebuilding homes, schools, water, and sanitation systems, and livelihoods.
Save the Children provides psychosocial services and child-friendly spaces for children in Gaza, where they can play, learn, and interact with other children. Additionally, the child rights organization provides health and nutrition services, as well as clean water and hygiene measures for the population in Gaza.
Save the Children has been working in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1953 and has had a permanent presence since 1973. Together with partner organizations, we advocate for high- quality education, child protection, early childhood development, and employment opportunities for young people.
Sources:
According to an OCHA situation report, an alarm system by the Site Management Cluster (SMC) indicated between April 7 and 13 that rodents or pests were frequently observed in 1326 out of 1644 surveyed shelters (81%), affecting about 1.45 million people. With children comprising 47% of the population in Gaza, this equates to around 680,500 children – two out of three children.
More than 70,000 cases of ectoparasitic infestations, exacerbated by shortages of hygiene supplies, United Nations in Palestine
UNRWA Situation Report No. 218 on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem
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Source: Save the Children, Press release
Original article published on: Gaza: Ratten- und Schädlingsplage setzt zwei von drei Kindern Infektionsrisiken aus