In the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, residents now battle daily with rats, weasels and other pests spreading disease. Samah al-Daabla, mother of four-year-old Mayaseen, told the BBC: 'We woke up to the sound of her screaming at 2am. When my husband turned on the torch, the weasel ran away. My daughter's hand was all blood.'

According to UN agencies, rodents are visible in 80% of sites housing displaced families, affecting some 1.45 million people. Dr. Reinhilde Van De Weert, WHO representative, called it 'the predictable consequence of a collapsed living environment.'

More than six months after a US-brokered ceasefire, the humanitarian situation has not improved. Israel continues airstrikes, and reconstruction has not begun. Raw sewage and garbage piles in overcrowded camps have become breeding grounds for rodents.

Parents keep vigil at night to protect their children. Rizq Abu Laila, living next to a dump in Gaza City, said: 'We cannot sleep! If we sleep, they bite the children. There are so many rats – an abnormal number.' Rats have torn clothes and eaten flour.

UN agencies are working on pest control, drainage and sanitation. UNICEF's Ettie Higgins stated: 'A very large-scale campaign is needed to deal with waste and rubble across Gaza.'

Israel's COGAT restricts entry of materials for security reasons but recently allowed nearly 1,000 rat traps and 10 tons of pesticides. WHO reports over 111,500 cases of parasitic diseases this year.

Locals fear pest numbers will rise in summer. Hassan Al-Faqaawi in Khan Younis said: 'We spend the whole night scratching from fleas and mosquitoes. I don't see any lasting peace in Gaza. Life is much harder. There is no life.'

Source: www.bbc.com