Gaza: Children at Risk of Infection Due to Plague of Rats and Other Pests
GAZA (May 1, 2026) – Plagues of rats, mice and insects have swarmed displacement sites in Gaza in recent weeks as temperatures rise, escalating health risks for about 1.4 million people living in overcrowded displacement sites, Save the Children said.[1]
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) said over 80% of more than 1,600 displacement sites assessed in mid-April reported rodents or pests frequently visible. Skin infections or rashes were reported in nearly two-thirds of sites, lice in over 65%, and bedbugs in more than half.
Rodents are chewing through tents and contaminating food supplies with few safe storage facilities. Cases are likely to worsen as temperatures continue to rise.
Save the Children staff have spoken with families who are too afraid to sleep at night, worried their children will be bitten by rats - something that has been reported already this year.[2]
The blockade of aid and commercial goods entering Gaza by the Israeli military has left families unable to access many essential items, including pesticides to control infestations. The rare times these items are in the market, the prices are unaffordable. As a result, families are resorting to often ineffective methods including trying to catch the animals using sticks or basic adhesive traps.
Gaza's healthcare, water and sanitation systems have been decimated by more than two years of war, turning crowded displacement sites into breeding grounds for disease, surrounded by piles of rubble and garbage.
The growing number of rodents and pests is fueled by the waste accumulation that has led to the spread of diseases like scabies, pneumonia and diarrhea. Children, especially infants under five and those weakened by malnutrition, are more susceptible to such diseases.
Shurouq, Gaza Media Manager, Save the Children:
"I am regularly seeing rats, rubbish and sewage all around me. I fear for my daughter's health living in these conditions. It makes my skin crawl and is no way to live a dignified life. As the weather warms, we fear this issue will only become worse and more terrifying and make our home a breeding ground for rats, pests and disease. It breaks my heart to see makeshift tents lining my entire route to work. These shelters are set up randomly on damaged infrastructure, leaving people constantly exposed to risks from sewage, animals, and rodents.
"The health and sanitation systems in Gaza are destroyed. Raw sewage runs through the streets when it rains and is regularly pumped into the sea. I struggle to find water and people have no choice but to fish and swim in the sea so they are putting themselves at risk."
Implementation of the "ceasefire plan" is failing across several objectives and Save the Children is calling for uninterrupted humanitarian access and for all parties to ensure humanitarian needs are met. The Israeli government must lift the siege and ensure all border crossings are open and fully operational, aid restrictions are lifted, and services resumed so homes, schools, water and sanitation systems and lives can finally be rebuilt.
Save the Children staff are supporting children in Gaza with psychosocial support services and child friendly spaces where children can play, learn and connect with other children. The child rights organization is also providing health, nutrition and water and sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services to communities in Gaza, which includes critical provisions of clean water and hygiene promotion activities.
Save the Children has worked in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1953, with a permanent presence since 1973. We work with partners to help provide quality education, protection for children, early childhood development support, and employment opportunities for young people.
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Sources:
[1] Rodents or pests were frequently visible in 1,326 of 1,644 assessed sites (81%), affecting about 1.45 million people, according to OCHA and the Site Management Cluster: Humanitarian Situation Report | 17 April 2026 | United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Occupied Palestinian Territory
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