GAZA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported on Thursday that over 125,000 cases of rodents and parasites skin infections were recorded in the Gaza Strip during the first five months of 2026.

A Palestinian child infected with skin disease is seen in the Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Aug. 6, 2024. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

"Another crisis in the Gaza Strip. Rats and parasites are surging. Skin infections are spreading. Risk of disease is increasing," the agency posted on its X account.

UNRWA said its medical teams are treating around 400 cases daily, but warned that capacity is limited by critical shortages of medicine.

Residents of the Gaza Strip, particularly children, are suffering from widespread skin diseases due to the extreme heat and poor living conditions in displacement camps, exacerbated by a lack of medicine and necessary treatment, according to doctors in the enclave.

Bashar Murad, director of health programs at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, said the tents of displaced people scattered throughout the enclave have become an "inhumane environment," leading to the spread of rodents and insects and water contamination.

According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, the strip is suffering from severe Israeli restrictions on the entry of fuel and medical supplies.