Ramallah: Cases of scabies have been reported among Palestinian women prisoners held in Israel's Damon prison, with at least 10 women confirmed to have contracted the disease out of more than 90 women detained there. The Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) announced these findings today.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the PPS stated that the information was based on recent visits conducted by human rights institutions, including their own. The detainees include pregnant women, minors, and women with chronic health conditions. The outbreak is attributed to harsh health and humanitarian conditions imposed by the Israeli prison administration, such as high humidity, overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, and a severe shortage of cleaning supplies and clothing.
The PPS highlighted that the spread of scabies reflects a lack of serious response by Israel's prison system, more than two years after it was first documented. Despite petitions and efforts by organizations like Physicians for Human Rights, the Israeli response has been limited, failing to halt the spread or provide protection to prisoners.
Scabies is no longer seen as a temporary skin disease in Israeli prisons but as a serious threat to prisoners' lives. The disease has led to severe health complications, including the case of child prisoner Mohammad Hamid, whose infection resulted in a bacterial infection, damage to vital organs, and eventually the amputation of a leg.
Prisoners have suffered from the disease for months, with symptoms such as boils, skin ulcers, and severe inflammation. The conditions inside the prisons, including denial of personal hygiene supplies and exposure to sunlight, contribute to the disease's spread.
The PPS stressed that the continued conditions and lack of medical treatment form part of broader policies of torture and medical neglect against prisoners. It called on the World Health Organization and international institutions to take urgent action against these abuses and to pressure Israeli authorities to change the conditions fostering disease spread.
The organization also called for an international investigation into the spread of diseases in prisons and accountability for those maintaining such policies. It emphasized the need for immediate action to protect prisoners and ensure their right to healthcare, stressing that international silence cannot continue.