The polio disease has re-emerged in Gaza after more than two decades, with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, calling for an immediate three-day humanitarian ceasefire to allow for vaccination of the population. The type 2 poliovirus was first detected in sewage samples in July, with the first confirmed case of polio in 25 years found in an unvaccinated 10-month-old baby in August. The re-emergence of the disease is attributed to the devastating impacts of war, which have disrupted vaccination programs and damaged water and sanitation systems.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for all parties to cease hostilities to allow for vaccination campaigns to take place. Over 1.2 million doses have been brought to Gaza with plans to vaccinate over 640,000 children. However, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warns that displacement orders by Israeli authorities are severely disrupting humanitarian efforts. The mass displacement orders, attacks on healthcare infrastructure, and water supplies are exacerbating the potential catastrophic polio outbreak in the war-torn enclave.
Human Rights Watch has also raised concerns about the quick spread of polio in Gaza, noting that all children in the area are at risk due to displacement, deprivation, and malnourishment. Borrell has emphasized the urgency of the situation and is convening the EU’s foreign ministers in Brussels for an informal meeting to discuss the bloc’s response to the conflict in Gaza. The EU has been advocating for a humanitarian pause in Gaza since March, but deep rifts between member states on the conflict have undermined its diplomatic efforts.
The ongoing war in Gaza has led to the re-emergence of the polio disease, with the first confirmed case in 25 years reported in an unvaccinated baby. The disruption of vaccination programs and damage to water and sanitation systems due to conflict have contributed to the spread of the disease. The WHO is urging all parties to cease hostilities to allow for vaccination campaigns, with over 1.2 million doses brought to Gaza and plans to vaccinate over 640,000 children.
UNRWA has warned that displacement orders by Israeli authorities are hindering humanitarian efforts, exacerbating the polio outbreak in Gaza. Human Rights Watch has also expressed concerns about the potential catastrophic consequences of the quick spread of polio in the war-torn enclave. Borrell is prioritizing the situation in Gaza and will convene the EU’s foreign ministers for discussions on the bloc’s response to the conflict. Despite calls for a humanitarian pause, deep divisions among member states have hindered the EU’s diplomatic efforts in Gaza.
