The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent warning about the risk of a polio outbreak in Gaza, as the ongoing Israeli military offensive has severely hampered vaccination efforts. The virus, detected in sewage samples from Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis, threatens to spread rapidly unless immediate action is taken.
Polio, a highly infectious virus that can cause paralysis, has reemerged in Gaza after years of being nearly eradicated globally. Although no clinical cases have been reported yet, the presence of poliovirus in Gaza’s wastewater is a stark indicator that the virus is circulating, posing a grave threat to unvaccinated children under five, especially infants under two, who are the most vulnerable.
The health crisis comes at a time when Gaza’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. The continued bombings have not only destroyed hospitals but also disrupted the regular vaccination schedules that are crucial for preventing diseases like polio. The Gaza Health Ministry has declared the region a “polio epidemic zone,” directly attributing the resurgence of the virus to the ongoing conflict, which has decimated health infrastructure and made it nearly impossible to carry out effective public health interventions.
In response to this emerging crisis, WHO officials have made an urgent appeal for a ceasefire, or at the very least, a temporary halt in hostilities to allow for the safe administration of vaccines. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for absolute freedom of movement for healthcare workers and the swift delivery of medical supplies, including over one million polio vaccines that WHO plans to send to Gaza.
“A ceasefire, or at least ‘days of tranquility’ during preparation and delivery of the vaccination campaigns, are required to protect children in Gaza from polio,” Ghebreyesus stated, underlining the dire need for immediate action to prevent a full-scale outbreak.
Hamid Jafari, WHO’s director of polio eradication for the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, confirmed that while no clinical cases have been diagnosed so far, the situation could rapidly deteriorate if vaccination efforts are not promptly implemented. The stakes are high, as a further spread of the virus could extend beyond Gaza’s borders, creating a broader regional health crisis.
The looming threat of polio is just one facet of a broader humanitarian and health crisis gripping Gaza. The Israeli military offensive has left most of Gaza’s hospitals out of commission, further exacerbating the health emergency. The destruction of water sanitation facilities and the overcrowded living conditions in refugee camps have led to outbreaks of other diseases, including diarrhea, scabies, and lice, which are spreading rapidly among the population.
Richard Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, reported a staggering increase in preventable diseases due to the destruction of essential infrastructure. Gaza has recorded 24 times the normal rate of diarrhea cases, along with over 100,000 cases of scabies and lice, and 70,000 cases of skin rashes—all consequences of contaminated water and poor sanitation.
The international community has been called upon to address the escalating health crisis in Gaza. Humanitarian advocates stress the urgent need to end the violence to allow for the resolution of the health crisis, which has been compounded by Israel’s ongoing military actions that have targeted civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and aid convoys.
The ethical implications of the continued military actions are profound. The intersection of warfare and public health has created a situation where the most vulnerable—children and infants—are at the highest risk. The moral responsibility of global powers and international organizations to intervene is clear, as the situation threatens to spiral into a full-blown public health disaster.
As WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned, “The world cannot afford to ignore this crisis.” The stakes are too high, and the consequences of inaction could be devastating—not just for Gaza, but for the broader region and beyond.
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