Khan Younis, Gaza: Displaced people struggling without sanitation services

For over 10 months, the war in Gaza has led to the displacement of over 1.9 million people. Often forced to move within minutes of the announcement of an evacuation order by Israeli forces, many have now been displaced numerous times. In Al Mawasi, Khan Younis, the Palestinian Agricultural Development Association (PARC) with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) support is providing emergency latrines, solar water pump systems, water treatment plant, and other support, such as tents, to some of the displaced people arriving to Khan Younis. 

As evacuation orders by Israeli forces continue to compress people into smaller and smaller areas along the now increasingly cramped coastal area of Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis, the living conditions in Mawasi are getting worse. OCHA estimates that from the 22 July to 26 of July alone, more than 190.000 Palestinians were displaced in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah.

Those displaced in Al Mawasi Khan Younis, southern Gaza, are living in dusty tents, overcrowded with several family members, without proper access to food, water, and essential services such as sanitation and health care. People may have to queue for hours for water, even for latrines, and are unable to regularly shower.

“The living conditions are extremely difficult. Every day, we see between 300 to 400 cases at the medical clinic, of which 200 are related to skin conditions,” explains PARC paediatrician Dr. Youssef Salaf Al-Farra. “Children are the most impacted, especially by skin conditions that are highly contagious.”

Between 1 July and 21 August, at least 16 evacuation orders have been issued by Israeli forces in Gaza. An estimated 213,000 Palestinians have been affected from the beginning of August to 16 August and 86% of Gaza has come under evacuation orders since the war began, according to OCHA.

After months of endless evacuation orders by Israeli forces, people are left without belongings. Many to Khan Younis without even a plastic bag of belongings, or a single bar of soap.

People are forced to move in a rush with very little forewarning, which can be particularly challenging for people with disabilities, women with children and elderly people.

As skin conditions are increasing, PARC supported by MSF has built over 300 latrines, including accessible latrines for people with physical disabilities in the Deir al Balah camp, installed three solar water pump systems and provided primary health care to displaced people.

“There is no clean drinking water, resulting in diseases spreading," explains displaced mother Rasha Misbeh, 24 years old. “Children’s faces and bodies are becoming itchy. All the children are impacted by the spread of [skin] conditions; there is not a single child who isn’t impacted. Everyone is packed closely together, which is making it worse”

For three months MSF has been trying to import 4,000 hygiene kits to improve the living conditions of people in Khan Younis. The kits contain basic everyday items such as soap, toothbrushes, shampoo and laundry powder. The scarcity of such items in Gaza means they are prohibitively expensive for people to purchase.  For three months, importation of these kits has been blocked by the Israeli authorities.

MSF calls for an immediate ceasefire as well as unimpeded safe access for staff and supplies to be able to enter Gaza and to the areas most in need of support.