The United Nations has warned of a rapidly worsening health crisis in Gaza after nearly 9,300 cases of chickenpox were recorded among displaced people in just two weeks, with more than half reported in Khan Younis.

According to the UN, the outbreak is being fueled by severe overcrowding in shelters, the collapse of water and sanitation services, and extreme summer heat. Around 1.7 million displaced Palestinians are living across roughly 1,600 shelter sites, while camp management services currently reach only 34% of them.

UN teams also reported rodents and parasites in 83% of displacement sites, alongside overflowing waste, leaking sewage, and stagnant water. The deteriorating conditions are raising fears of wider disease outbreaks, placing hundreds of thousands of civilians, especially children, at growing risk.