UK-based NGO warns of mass polio outbreak in Gaza

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The re-emergence of the polio virus in the Gaza Strip has sparked urgent concerns among health officials and aid organizations, with fears that tens of thousands of children could be at risk due to a crippled healthcare system and ongoing hostilities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported the detection of the polio virus in sewage samples from Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah.

Earlier this month, Gaza’s Ministry of Health confirmed a case of polio in a 10-month-old child from Deir Al-Balah, marking the first reported case in Gaza in over two decades.

"At least 50,000 children born during the past 10 months of hostilities are highly unlikely to have received any immunizations due to the collapsed health system, while older children among the one million children in Gaza will have had their regular vaccine schedules disrupted or halted by violence and displacement," according to a statement by Save the Children.

The situation for older children is equally dire, as routine vaccination schedules have been disrupted or completely halted due to the violence and mass displacement, it added.

Polio, a highly infectious virus that can cause irreversible paralysis within hours, poses a particular threat to children in Gaza.

The resurgence of polio is being attributed to the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, coupled with Israel’s restrictions on repairs and the delivery of supplies.

The combination of overcrowding, displacement, and a decimated healthcare system has created a perfect storm for the virus to spread rapidly through the population.

"Now that polio is confirmed, the response needs to be measured in hours, not weeks," said Jeremy Stoner, Save the Children’s regional director for the Middle East. "Without immediate action, an entire generation is at risk of infection, and hundreds of children face paralysis by a highly communicable disease that can be prevented with a simple vaccine. These children do not have the luxury of time."

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and nearly 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.