Displaced Palestinians, many having fled violence four or five times during the ongoing crisis in Gaza, are struggling to get by in crammed shelters with few hygiene supplies, Al Jazeera reports.

The overcrowding is causing infectious diseases to spread more rapidly, warned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), adding there are not enough vaccines or medication to meet people’s needs.

“We need safe and unrestricted access”, said the agency, whose distribution centre in Rafah is now inaccessible, said in a post on X.