19/9/2024

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs warned today, Thursday, of the severe threat posed by the spread of skin diseases, particularly scabies, among prisoners. This disease has become a real danger to their lives and has even prompted the Israeli prison administration to close several prisons and detention centers to lawyer visits due to the outbreak.

In this context, the Commission expressed concern over the spread of this disease to the rooms of juvenile prisoners in Ofer Prison, where it has rapidly and extensively spread. Symptoms such as painful rashes, boils, and severe skin redness now appear on their bodies, causing unbearable itching and pain that prevent them from sleeping.

The Commission called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to fulfill its responsibilities toward all prisoners, especially juveniles. The lack of hygiene, deprivation of cleaning supplies and disinfectants, inadequate bathing facilities, and the absence of sufficient clothing and bedding have created a fertile environment for the spread of such diseases.

It noted that Ofer Prison houses the majority of juvenile prisoners, currently numbering 150 out of a total of 260 juveniles, and they are not treated with the sensitivity their young ages and frail bodies demand. On the contrary, their vulnerabilities are exploited to intensify their suffering.

The Commission emphasized that living and health conditions in Ofer Prison remain dire, with escalating punishments and a surge in harsh measures. Beatings, starvation, and deprivation continue to devastate the physical and mental well-being of the prisoners, including women.

It should be noted that most of these prisoners suffer from severe health conditions and urgently need medical attention and medication. However, the prison administration refuses to provide them with the necessary care, leaving them at the mercy of their illnesses. Moreover, several rooms in the prison have been designated for quarantine due to the scabies outbreak.