UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : Gaza: Polio alert and anarchy

Poliovirus detected in Gaza sewage puts thousands at risk amid increasing ‘anarchy’

In Gaza, tests conducted by the Global Polio Laboratory Network have confirmed the presence of poliovirus in six sewage samples collected on 23 June from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah.

The latest health threat has been exacerbated by severe overcrowding caused by repeated forced displacement, scarce and contaminated water supplies, accumulated garbage and the limited access of humanitarian aid into Gaza, including hygiene supplies.

Polio is a very contagious viral disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis within hours, warned the UN World Health Organization (WHO). For the time being, however, “the virus has been isolated from the environment and there's no associated paralytic case or any cases that have been detected,” said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier.

According to the UN health agency, the escalation of hostilities in the Strip has led to a rise in deaths and injuries, severe overcrowding in camps and the disruption of health, water, and sewage systems, all contributing to the spread of infectious diseases.

As part of the response efforts, the UN health agency is working with the local health authority in Gaza, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) and partners to conduct risk assessments, determine the scope of poliovirus spread and decide on measures necessary to stop it, including prompt vaccination campaigns.

“The coverage rates in Gaza were optimal before the start of the ongoing war,” Mr. Lindmeier told journalists in Geneva. “Polio vaccination coverage primarily conducted through routine immunization was estimated at 89 per cent in 2023, according to the latest WHO-UNICEF routine immunization estimates,” he added.

UN agencies reiterated their call for an immediate halt to the fighting so that clean water could be brought in and sewage networks repaired.

The acute humanitarian crisis, desperation and scarcity is also affecting public order. The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) warned that "anarchy" is spreading in the Gaza Strip, with looting, unlawful killings and shootings.

Just back from a visit to Gaza on Thursday, Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR for Gaza and the West Bank, said that there is no law enforcement in the Strip. “There is looting, some opportunistic, some in the north, more because they're hungry,” he explained. “Beyond that, you also have many so-called ‘family disputes’. You hear a lot of bullets flying. And this is not between only the (Israeli Defense Forces) IDF and the Palestinians. Within these communities there is chaos. This is the anarchy we talk about, and it's extremely dangerous as well. We want the police to be back on the street and to bring some order there.”

The UN human rights officer insisted that the absence of law enforcement has been caused by Israel's dismantling of local capacity to maintain public order and safety in Gaza.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder emphasized the responsibility of Israel as the occupying power in Gaza to fulfil its obligations under international law: “This is the legal responsibility of Israel, not just to facilitate aid getting in, but then to facilitate the safe distribution of that aid. None of these things has been happening for nine months," he maintained.

Gaza is one of the most difficult operating environments of all time because there are inefficiencies on the ground. “What there are is disease on the ground, bombs from the sky and a deliberate, consistent willingness of authorities who have the legal and military power to prevent lifesaving aid going into Gaza,” Mr. Elder said.

Echoing that message, the WHO’s Christian Lindmeier pointed to the “evidence on the ground. Let journalists go into Gaza and let them see for themselves what's going on. Compare the evidence with the words and the rest speaks for itself.”

As pressure mounts on the Israeli government over a ceasefire deal, a large majority of the Knesset voted a resolution on Thursday against the establishment of a Palestinian state, west of the Jordan River. The UN Secretary General expressed his disappointment and reiterated his belief that ending the occupation and negotiating a two-State solution were key to a peaceful future for the people of Palestine and Israel.

This would involve Israelis living side by side with an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, António Guterres said, in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, based on the 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

Ends

Gaza: Polio alert and anarchy – WHO, OHCHR, UNICEF

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