AhlulBayt News Agency: The suffering of thousands of displaced families in Khan Yunis continues to intensify as fleas spread widely throughout the shelter tents in the al‑Mawasi area, amid the absence of pest‑control efforts and worsening living conditions that heighten health risks, especially for children and the elderly.
Displaced residents say flea bites deprive them of sleep, while they lack pesticides or any means of protection. Doha al‑Sarsawi, 25, displaced from Gaza City, said she cannot sleep due to constant itching, and her two‑year‑old child cries throughout the night, noting that individual attempts to use medicines or pesticides have failed because of the widespread infestation.
Similarly, Saeed Hamad, 60, displaced from Rafah, described the situation as unbearable, pointing to his young daughter’s severe skin rashes and blisters, made worse by the lack of medicine and pest‑control materials—an issue that increases anxiety as Ramadan approaches.
Displaced people report that fleas are active at night and hide in sand and blankets during the day, making them difficult to combat. Mahmoud al‑Aqad, 42, said he often wakes up to find blood stains on his clothes from bites. He explained that before Ramadan he sprayed his tent and the sand with agricultural pesticide, which temporarily reduced the insects before they returned. High prices, he added, prevent most displaced families from repeating the treatment.
Meanwhile, Samer al‑Astal, 47, expressed hope of returning to his home east of Khan Yunis to escape the worsening crisis, but said he was shot at while trying to reach areas labeled “safe” by the Israeli army. He added that drones also fire toward civilians, and two of his relatives were injured while moving north, now receiving treatment at Nasser Hospital.
With complaints rising, displaced families say individual solutions are no longer effective and that eliminating fleas requires coordinated, large‑scale spraying campaigns across all camps.
Sayed Ashour said the suffering doubles during Ramadan, explaining that fasting during the day is followed by sleepless nights due to severe itching. He said he had to borrow money to buy insecticide, but the fleas quickly returned because of their widespread presence.
The displaced appealed to humanitarian organizations and relevant authorities for urgent intervention, calling for comprehensive spraying campaigns and the provision of safe pesticides and sterilization materials to curb the spread of fleas, which have caused allergies, skin infections, and increased suffering under extremely harsh humanitarian conditions.
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