CARE and nearly 40 humanitarian aid workers and health professionals are warning of the dangers of a massive polio outbreak without an urgent response. Just one case could put an entire generation of children at risk.
First polio case in 25 years: Gaza on high alert
Humanitarian actors and health professionals have joined forces to urgently call for a ceasefire to allow polio vaccines to be administered to nearly 640,000 children under the age of 10, following confirmation of the first polio cases in Gaza for 25 years, and the emergence of other suspected cases. At least 50,000 children Children born in the past ten months of hostilities are most likely not vaccinated due to the collapse of the health system, while older children among Gaza’s one million children have had their regular vaccination schedules disrupted or interrupted by violence and displacement.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported the presence of the virus in wastewater samples from the cities of Khan Younes and Deir Al-Balah. The Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed this month a case in an unvaccinated 10-month-old child in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. This resurgence is directly linked to the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, as well as restrictions imposed by the Israeli government on repairs and supplies, creating an environment conducive to the spread of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported the presence of the virus in wastewater samples from the cities of Khan Younes and Deir Al-Balah.
The urgency of a ceasefire to allow vaccination
Polio vaccines are available in the region and ready for distribution in August and September by all NGOs present. However, full humanitarian access to Gaza from all border crossings, as well as safe and unhindered movement within the Gaza Strip, are essential for the campaign to be successful.
“The health system in Gaza was destroyed long ago, without an immediate ceasefire and access to vaccines and humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, the population faces a health catastrophe that will spread and endanger children throughout the region and beyond.”
Nahed Abu Iyada, field manager of CARE’s West Bank and Gaza health program.
Polio, a virus that can cause irreversible paralysis within hoursis particularly dangerous in Gaza, where high rates of malnutrition and toxic stress levels make children more vulnerable to infection. Humanitarian operations are severely hampered by ongoing bombardment and the obstruction of essential aid supplies and fuel at Israeli-controlled crossings. On several occasions, specialized refrigerated trucks, needed to safely transport vaccines, have been denied entry, putting thousands of children at risk.
Humanitarian organisations are urgently calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
For a polio vaccination campaign to be effective, it must be able to reach at least 95% of targeted children, which is impossible in an active war zone. All parties to the conflict have an obligation to facilitate humanitarian access at all times, whether the conflict is active or not.
