أمينة خليفة

Children in Gaza are facing the spread of chickenpox amid war, displacement, overcrowded shelters, inadequate water and sanitation, shortages of medicines, and an overstretched healthcare system. Families struggle to isolate sick children, obtain medical advice and treatment, and protect other household members from infection. The situation also compounds children’s psychological distress and exposes broader weaknesses in Gaza’s health infrastructure. The article calls for a comprehensive humanitarian response providing medical supplies, clean water, sanitation, safe shelter, support for health workers, and public guidance on preventing transmission and identifying cases requiring urgent care.

Residents of Gaza remain deeply skeptical that a new agreement will quickly improve their lives after years of war, destruction, displacement, and unmet promises. Their priorities are practical: food, water, electricity, medicine, shelter, reopened schools and hospitals, employment, and access to aid. Even if the agreement secures a lasting ceasefire, rebuilding homes and infrastructure will take years and will depend on effective civil administration, adequate funding, and cooperation among the parties. The agreement’s success will therefore be judged by concrete improvements on the ground, not by official statements, while continued uncertainty risks worsening psychological and social pressures and further eroding public trust.