Tragically, the nearly unprecedented death and injury we have seen so far is likely to only be the beginning. From looking at similar conflicts across the world, public health experts know that we are likely to see more children dying from preventable disease than from bullets and bombs. While the Israeli government has spoken about
safe zones for families to flee to, these aren’t anywhere near what we would consider safe public health zones. They don’t have clean water, functional sanitation and toilets, enough food, or trained medical staff with medicine and equipment. These are the basic needs that any human, especially babies and children, need to stay healthy and alive.
The
WHO spokesperson Dr Margaret Harris has said that diarrhoea rates among children in refugee-like camps (sheltered housing) in Gaza were, in early November, already more than 100 times normal levels.
Upper respiratory infections, chickenpox, and painful skin conditions
have also increased, and there are fears that the recent floods may result in untreated sewage mixing with fresh water used for drinking and cooking, and cause a
cholera outbreak.
I hope he visits Iraq first to receive what he deserves. These western governments live in their own bubble.
