New York, April 25 (QNA) - The World Health Organization said it has recorded more than 17,000 infections among displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year, linked to rodents and external parasites, amid deteriorating health and humanitarian conditions resulting from the Israeli war on the enclave.

In a statement issued Friday, the organization said that desperate and dangerous conditions in Gaza continue to hinder recovery efforts, noting a rise in infection rates among families at a time when the health sector lacks the supplies and tools needed to respond.

It estimated the damage to the health sector alone at about $1.4 billion, adding that more than 1,800 health facilities had been partially or completely destroyed, ranging from major hospitals such as Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to smaller primary health care centers, clinics, pharmacies and laboratories. (QNA)