The World Health Organization warned on Friday of surging respiratory illnesses in Gaza, with worse expected after heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians, Reuters reported from Geneva on November 13.

Source: Reuters, Nov 13, 2026

"The numbers already show the pressure. Acute respiratory infections are 33,000 cases higher than at the same time last year," Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, the WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Jerusalem.

Source: Reuters, Nov 13, 2026

33,000More acute respiratory infection cases than at the same time last year, per WHO
11%Share of all medical consultations in Gaza now made up by respiratory infections
~1 millionDisplaced people in Gaza living in flood-exposed areas, per WHO
400,000People in locations the WHO considers at extremely high flood risk
Tens of thousandsTents flooded by the recent heavy rains, per WHO via Reuters

Crowding is driving the spread

Poor living conditions and severe overcrowding are driving up infections as Gaza's population is squeezed into an ever-smaller area, the WHO said. The crunch has worsened as the Israeli military expands its control by advancing the "yellow line" — a demarcation established under October's US-brokered ceasefire. "That means people are living in more crowded conditions, where of course the spread between humans of a virus is much more prone to spread," Van De Weerdt explained.

Source: Reuters, Nov 13, 2026

The agency said flooding heightened the risk of contaminated water, while standing water gave mosquitoes and pests more places to breed. Dampness encouraged mould and bacteria that are major drivers of respiratory infections, especially in young children, it said. Aid workers on the ground describe the same picture: Médecins Sans Frontières staff in Gaza reported this week that heavy rain soaked tents, bedding and food supplies, with 65% of Gaza's population — 1.4 million people — living in tents or makeshift shelters and more than 300,000 families lacking adequate protection from rain and cold.

Source: MSF UK, Nov 13, 2026

What is solid

  • The WHO's own figures, stated by its representative Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt at a Geneva briefing on Friday: acute respiratory infections 33,000 cases higher than a year ago; respiratory infections at 11% of all consultations; nearly a million displaced people in flood-exposed areas, 400,000 of them at extremely high risk
  • Heavy rains have flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza, and winter has not yet fully set in, per the WHO via Reuters

What is only claimed

  • Israel's side: the Israeli military and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment; COGAT said last week it had stepped up efforts to improve sanitary conditions before the heavy rain, in coordination with international organisations

"It is shocking that just a few days of rain really showed us what the coming months will bring. And winter has not even fully set in. The worst really is yet to come," Van De Weerdt said. While the majority of medicines are getting into Gaza, the WHO said it faces difficulty getting laboratory supplies, which it says are vital for diagnosing patients before they can be treated.

Source: Reuters, Nov 13, 2026

What the WHO is asking for

"To prevent outbreaks, we really call to let laboratory equipment enter Gaza today, so that we can avoid a public health disaster on top of a disaster," Van De Weerdt said. With cold weather, flooding, overcrowded shelters and poor ventilation all expected to push infection numbers higher, the agency's warning makes the coming weeks the window to watch: whether lab supplies get in, and whether the 400,000 people in extremely high-risk flood locations get safer shelter before the next heavy rain.