Plague of rats and insects provide latest challenge for war-shattered Gazans

This article is published in association with United Nations.

After suffering almost 18 months of deadly bombardment, displacement and lack of access to basic services, the embattled people of Gaza face yet another challenge: the threat of insects and rodents.

One displaced woman told UN News’s correspondent in Gaza: “In all camps, we suffer from biting insects, especially fleas,” adding that “our children suffer from severe pain due to itching and stinging.

“We tried to treat it in simple ways, but the right medicines are not available at the medical centre.”

While biting insects found in Gaza are not immediately life-threatening, the presence of rodents, including rats, can increase the risk of the spread of infectious diseases which the health system in Gaza may be unable to treat.

Inadequate sanitation

The lack of adequate sanitation, including limited access to clean toilets, general overcrowding as people try to find places to live amongst the rubble of Gaza – and the challenges of removing rubbish from the streets – have amplified the threat posed by rats.

Teams from UNRWA, the UN agency which supports the people of Gaza, have initiated intensive clean-up operations as well as environmental and health awareness campaigns. The number of dermatology consultations in health facilities has also increased.

UNRWA workers are actively moving through tents for displaced people in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip spraying pesticides to counter the spread of insects, fleas and rodents.

© UNRWA

Uncollected trash in Gaza is encouraging rats.

UNRWA teams have worked in approximately 50 displacement sites in the Mawasi area of ​​Khan Younis.

They have focused on locations where there is overcrowding, improper waste disposal, the presence of livestock and the lack of hygiene materials.

“Because of the intense heat and sleeping on the sand, we were exposed to biting insects, rodents, and mosquitoes,” said one resident as he watched an UNRWA environmental health officer spraying insecticides around temporary shelters.

UN News

A doctor from UNRWA’s Environmental Health team explains to mothers how to treat insect bites.

Educational Sessions

In a nearby tent, a group of women gathered around awareness-raising instructors from the agency’s Environmental Health Office for an educational session on how to guard against insects and rodents.

The meetings target women, girls and adolescents to familiarize them with how to face this health challenge.

Meanwhile, Gaza continues to struggle since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel precipitated the shattering conflict.

No humanitarian aid or supplies have entered the Gaza Strip since 2 March 2025, due to Israel’s total blockade.

UNRWA says vital humanitarian supplies, including food, fuel, medical aid and vaccines for children, are almost exhausted.

The agency warned that pesticide stocks are expected to run out within days in southern Gaza, while they have already run out in the central areas and north of the Strip.