Nights of the tents… when rodents become a daily nightmare in Gaza

The screaming of the five-year-old child, Karim, was not just a passing panic in a heavy night in a worn-out tent east of Sheikh Radwan’s pond in Gaza City. His mother, the elderly Rawya Halawa, woke up to the impact of pain, to find that her son had been bitten by a “rat” that crept into the tent, in a scene that was repeated to the point of cruelty. The mother, with her primitive tools, rushed to bandage the wound, trying to contain the danger, but the anxiety remained open for another unknown night. Halawa told “Palestine Online” that rats and mice are no longer an emergency in their lives, but rather become part of their daily details, noting that her child has been bitten more than once by trying to bite during sleep. Around them, destroyed homes are spreading that have become a fertile environment for rodent reproduction, while families are unable to confront, with the absence of pesticides and the lack of capabilities. The family, who lost their home in Jabalia, lives in a tent that does not protect the heat or the cold, rainwater seeps into it, and the wind threatens it at every depression, while their suffering is exacerbated by the injury of the head of the family and the loss of the source of income. An endless battle This tale is not much different from others in displacement camps. In Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza, Wafaa Moussa describes her life as a “night battle”, which she fights to protect her children from rodents that started destroying food and clothing, before turning into a direct threat. She says she no longer sleeps, she stays awake all night watching her three-year-old children, fearing that rats’ teeth will spread to them.

A Silent Danger Spreads

This suffering is no longer isolated; it has become a widespread phenomenon. A widely circulated image of a young girl holding a shocking sign about a “large rat” attacking an infant inside his tent has sparked outrage among displaced people, who are demanding urgent intervention to save them from a silently worsening catastrophe.

Activists have called on international organizations, especially the World Health Organization, to take immediate action in light of the escalating health risks resulting from the spread of rodents within the camps.

A Collapsing Environment

Municipalities in the Gaza Strip are warning of a worsening crisis, noting that the accumulation of rubble and overflowing sewage, along with food scraps and stagnant water, have created an ideal environment for an unprecedented rodent infestation.

They emphasize that these rodents are not only a nuisance but also leave behind droppings that mix with the water, contributing to the spread of dangerous bacteria that can cause contagious skin diseases, especially in an environment lacking even the most basic hygiene.