Dangerous skin diseases spreading among Gaza children
Deir El-Balah, Palestinian Territories: More than 150,000 people in the Gaza Strip have contracted skin diseases amid the squalid conditions faced by displaced residents since October 2023. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Gaza's children are particularly vulnerable to these diseases due to compromised immune systems caused by malnutrition.
Wafaa Elwan’s five-year-old son, living in a Gaza tent city, suffers from severe itching due to skin infections. "My son can’t sleep through the night because he can’t stop scratching his body," Elwan shared, describing the white and red blotches covering his feet, legs, and torso.
Skin infections such as scabies, chickenpox, lice, impetigo, and other debilitating rashes are rampant among Gazans. The WHO has documented 96,417 cases of scabies and lice, 9,274 cases of chickenpox, 60,130 cases of skin rashes, and 10,038 cases of impetigo since October 2023.
Elwan's family, like many others, lives on a sandy patch near the sea close to Deir al-Balah. "We sleep on the ground, on sand where worms come out underneath us," she said. Limited access to hygiene and sanitary products exacerbates the situation. Parents previously encouraged their children to wash in the Mediterranean, but pollution from the war has made the sea hazardous.
Pharmacist Sami Hamid, who runs a makeshift clinic in Deir al-Balah, noted the prevalence of scabies and chickenpox. "Children’s skin suffers from the hot weather and the lack of clean water," Hamid explained. He provided calamine lotion to soothe the itching of affected children.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warns that Gaza’s children are especially susceptible to skin conditions due to malnutrition. Mohammed Abu Mughaiseeb, MSF's medical coordinator in Gaza, highlighted the additional risk posed by hot weather and poor hygiene.
Hamid reported that 24 out of 150 students in a makeshift school had scabies, with infections spreading among them. WHO warned of other diseases rampaging through displacement camps due to poor hygiene. Primitive toilets draining into channels among tents contribute to the spread of epidemics, with 485,000 cases of diarrhoea reported.
The United Nations reports that 1.9 million people in Gaza, out of a population of 2.4 million, are now displaced. Israel’s aggression has resulted in at least 37,925 Palestinian deaths, primarily civilians, according to official figures.
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Riyan Parag debuts as first Assam cricketer in national team
Guwahati, Jul 6: All-rounder Riyan Parag became the first cricketer from Assam to play for the national team at the senior level as he made his debut against Zimbabwe in a T-20 tie at Harare on Saturday.
“A son's dream takes flight, and a father's heart swells with pride! Riyan Parag, you've made Assam proud! And what makes it even more special is receiving his Cap from the person who inspired him the most - his father!,” Assam Cricket Association posted on X, congratulating the young player.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal termed it a historic day for the state.
“Our very own @ParagRiyan makes his debut in the Indian Cricket Team as he plays his first T20I match for #TeamIndia against Zimbabwe at Harare,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.
“#RiyanParag becomes the first Assamese male cricketer to play for India. Proud moment; may be reach the pinnacle of sporting glory,” the former Assam CM added.
The 22-year-old, who did not bowl in his first international match, failed to impress with the bat, being caught out for 2 runs off 3 balls in the fifth over as India chased Zimbabwe’s score of 115 runs.
Zimbabwe pulled off an upset of massive proportions when they stunned the Indian team brimming with an array of Next-Gen stars by 13 runs in the first T20I of the five-match series here on Saturday.
Riyan, who was a part of the Indian Under-19 team that won the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, was named in the Indian national squad for the Zimbabwe tour last month.
He has been representing Assam in domestic cricket since 2017 and has been a member of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League since 2018.
Another cricketer from the state, Uma Chetry, had been earlier named in the Indian women's team but is yet to make her international debut.
