Immunization Campaign for Polio in Gaza
The Gaza Strip, a coastal region between Israel and Egypt, has been the centre of an ongoing conflict for nearly a year. This region, governed by the Palestinian organization Hamas, follows the religion of Islam and is currently home to over 2 million Palestinians.
Hamas, known for advocating the elimination of Israel, has been involved in this conflict. The organization controls the Gaza Strip, which has been heavily dependent on food supplies from abroad. However, due to the ongoing war, the region is currently facing food shortages.
The conflict has resulted in the tragic death of 10,000 civilians and extensive destruction, leaving the Gaza Strip largely in ruins. Israel, a country in the Middle East located on the Mediterranean Sea with Jerusalem as its capital, has been waging war in the Gaza Strip, causing the deaths of many more and preventing the entry of food and medicine.
The situation in Gaza is not just a matter of war and destruction. The ongoing conflict has disrupted regular vaccinations for children, raising serious health concerns. Recovered polio viruses have been detected in the sewage of the Gaza Strip, a disease that can cause paralysis and even death, particularly in children under 5 years old. This raises concerns about the potential spread of polio paralysis in the region for the first time in 25 years.
The last cases of polio paralysis in the Gaza Strip were reported in 2013. Polio, a virus transmitted through contaminated water, can be prevented through vaccination. However, the disruption in vaccination programmes due to the ongoing conflict puts children in the Gaza Strip at risk.
Israel and Egypt control the borders of the Gaza Strip. Recently, an agreement has been reached between Israel's military and Hamas, allowing for several hours of ceasefire each day for a period of 3 days. This temporary respite offers a glimmer of hope for the people of Gaza, who are desperately in need of humanitarian aid and medical supplies.
The Middle East conflict, in which Israel is involved, is a long-standing conflict about who owns the land. This conflict has taken a heavy toll on the people of Gaza, who have been displaced from areas now part of Israel after the establishment of the Jewish state following World War II.
The United Nations reports that over 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, primarily civilians. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of over 200 people.
This ongoing conflict is a stark reminder of the urgent need for peace and a resolution to the Middle East crisis. The health and wellbeing of the people of Gaza, particularly the children, hang in the balance. It is crucial that efforts are made to ensure the vaccination programmes are restored and the humanitarian crisis is alleviated.
