Urgent vaccination campaign against Polio started in the Gaza crisis area

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gaza - in the middle of ongoing conflicts in the Gaza Strip, the health needs of the population are increasingly becoming the focus. UN representatives and organizations urgently demand measures to combat a polio outbreak that primarily affects children in the war region. Louisa Baxter, head of the emergency health unit of Save the Children, stated in a meeting of the UN Security Council that the disease could not only endanger local but global health efforts without immediate prevention measures. She emphasized that the current outbreak, already noticeably in the Gaza Strip, is a serious threat.

The upcoming vaccination campaign, which is supposed to start at the end of August, could defuse the situation. According to Baxter, more than 50,000 children have been born since the beginning of the war and often have no access to necessary vaccinations. The spread of polio, an illness that can cause serious paralysis and is often transmitted via contaminated water, is particularly alarming due to the heavily impaired healthcare system in the Gaza Strip. Baxter warns: "The decimated health system is completely unprepared to meet this new polio crisis."

negotiations on ceasefire in Cairo

In Cairo, intensive negotiations on a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are currently taking place. An Israeli negotiation team is in the Egyptian capital to find solutions for the ongoing conflicts. According to reports, US delegates could also be involved in these discussions. An Israeli government spokesman said the negotiations were in direct connection with the difficult conditions on site.

A central topic of the talks is the release of hostages that are kept in custody by Hamas, as well as the demand for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. On Sunday, the negotiations could possibly achieve a turning point if Hamas shows willingness to go into the suggestions of the Israeli side.

disputes between Israel and Egypt

A central conflict point is the control over the southern border between Gaza and Egypt, which is required by Israel, which is referred to as the so-called Philadelphi corridor. Israel fears that Hamas smuggled weapons over underground tunnels and insists on a constant military presence in this area. The Egyptian General Israel Ziv said, citing official reports, that there is a "crisis mission" between Israel and Egypt, which seriously stresses the negotiations.

reports suggest that Israel wants to build observation towers in the corridor in order to monitor the flow of weapons smuggling, but Egypt rejects these suggestions. Egyptian sources argue that these towers would mean a permanent military presence of Israel and could therefore violate the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, which prohibits the stationation of military equipment in this zone. Israel, on the other hand, sees the need to prevent future attacks by Hamas.

The tensions could continue to worsen because the Hamas demands a complete re -relocation of the Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. According to reports, the international community fears that the contrast between these parties could severely affect peace in the region. Daniel Kurtzer, a former US ambassador to the region, is skeptical whether a quick solution is in sight and notes that an agreement between Egypt and Israel is becoming more and more likely, while the possibilities of agreement with Hamas remain uncertain

concern about escalation in the region

The current situation is tense and could lead to a further escalation in the region. According to media reports, the negotiations are about to fail without alternative solutions in sight. The possibility that additional conflicting actors, such as Iran or the Hezbollah, are concerned with interference and retaliation against Israel.

The continuing battles and the human tragedies that result from this make it clear that the global community is required to work for a solution that not only ensures peace in the Gaza Strip, but also the health of the endangered children. The challenge of preventing the outbreak of polio and at the same time achieving an armistice remains one of the most complex tasks in this critical period.

political and social contexts in the Gaza Strip

The Gaza strip has been in a severe humanitarian crisis for years, which is characterized by political tensions and military conflicts. The area has been controlled by the Islamist organization Hamas since 2007 and is at the center of a lengthy conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. This conflict has deep historical roots that go back to the founding of the state of Israel than the tensions between Jewish and Arabic communities.

The economic location in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. High unemployment, restricted access to educational and health services as well as constant fear of violent clashes shape the life of almost two million people who live in this tight coastal strip. The constant military conflicts, including the Israeli air raids, have significantly damaged the infrastructure and brought the health system almost to the zero point.

health system and polio pandemic

The healthcare system in the Gaza Strip is severely affected due to political instability and repeated conflicts. According to the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority, health care was already severely restricted before the current conflict. Patient care is affected by lack of medication, medical personnel and adequate institutions. These circumstances make the population particularly susceptible to epidemics, such as the current polio outbreak.

If you look at the spread of polio, it is crucial that vaccination campaigns are carried out under such crisis conditions. In accordance with the reports of the World Health Organization (WHO), the current outbreak in Gaza could not only increase the disease rate on site, but also have followed across Europe and beyond when introduced cases come to other countries.

Current statistics on health in Gaza

A current study by Unicef ​​about the health state of children in the Gaza Strip shows worrying numbers: about 30 % of children under the age of five are severely malnourished, and the vaccination rate is far below global standards. In an area in which more than 50,000 newborns have had no access to fundamental vaccinations since the beginning of the war, these figures illustrate urgency to take immediate measures.

In addition, a report by Save the Children has emphasized that the number of confirmed polio cases in the Gaza Strip has increased in recent months. This could indicate the insufficient immunization of the children. According to the WHO, the outbreak of Covid-19 in the region beyond Polio extends, which also contains health resources and the already plagued systems are further overloaded.