The agency highlighted the dire conditions facing families seeking shelter in overcrowded schools, destroyed buildings, or makeshift tents amidst sand and trash.
"None of these places are safe. People have nowhere left to go," UNRWA stated in a post on X, urgently calling for an immediate ceasefire to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, announced a troubling development: six samples of type 2 polio have been detected in parts of Gaza. Fortunately, no paralytic cases have been reported so far. "This is another serious development in the never-ending journey of misery," Lazzarini said on X.
He attributed the emergence of polio to Gaza's deteriorating health system, the lack of clean water and hygiene materials, overcrowded shelters, and extremely poor sanitation. The ongoing conflict has drastically reduced vaccination rates among children from near-universal levels to just over 85%, as families are constantly on the move, fleeing combat zones and searching for safety.
"Diseases don’t differentiate between people. They don’t know borders nor do they need a visa or permit to travel," Lazzarini emphasized. He stressed that controlling the spread of polio in Gaza and beyond requires robust vaccination campaigns to reach every child, regardless of their location.
"A ceasefire and an increase in the flow of vaccines will allow it," he added, reiterating the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate humanitarian aid and vaccination efforts.
The UNRWA's urgent appeals underscore the critical need for international intervention to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, protect vulnerable populations, and prevent the spread of disease. (ILKHA)