NEW YORK, (PIC)
The New York Times highlighted the miserable health situation in Gaza, warning of the threat of cholera outbreak in the Strip and questioning the usefulness of vaccination while the environmental situation created by the Israeli war of genocide increases the chances of the outbreak of new diseases and epidemics unless the war stops.
A New York Times’ opinion article said that diseases and epidemics are sweeping through Gaza, noting that stopping this requires international action to reach an immediate and permanent ceasefire agreement that restores the rights of the people and children in Gaza.
Dr. Mohammed Agha al-Kurdi, a humanitarian worker, highlighted the dire health challenges facing Gaza’s children in light of the war, warning that if the situation continues, the currently widespread polio will not be the only disease threatening their lives.
Al-Kurdi emphasized the worsening health situation, as Israeli bombing hinders vaccination campaigns against polio, and the lack of clean water leads to the spread of epidemics on a large scale.
Al-Kurdi said that he and his team receive 180 cases a day of children suffering from skin diseases such as rashes, herpes, or chickenpox, due to bathing in the sea polluted with sewage water.
With the aim of immunizing 590,000 children, UNRWA, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and partners have begun the second round of the polio immunization campaign in Gaza.
These vital efforts require humanitarian pauses to ensure the safety of children and health care workers.
The contagious polio virus reappeared in Gaza in August in the body of a 10-month-old Gazan baby, prompting the World Health Organization, in cooperation with other groups and organizations, to launch a massive vaccination campaign that includes 680,000 Palestinian children. 559,000 were given the first dose as part of these efforts, despite the difficulty of working under bombardment.
Al-Kurdi pointed out that vaccines do not work effectively if the recipient is malnourished, which is the case in Gaza due to Israel cutting off aid and food supplies.
He wondered about the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns in light of the dire humanitarian conditions, especially since the vaccination consists of two doses that must be separated by a few weeks, noting that “some of the children we vaccinate in the morning arrive at the hospital in the evening with serious injuries due to Israeli airstrikes.”
“What is the logic of allowing the vaccination of children today, when tomorrow they will be threatened by cholera, as doctors predict, or injured by Israeli missiles, or subject to starvation? Celebrating the success of vaccination campaigns rings hollow when other dangers facing children in Gaza remain,” he added.
Al-Kurdi stressed the need for countries to push for ceasefire, repair what Israel has destroyed in Gaza’s health sector and assure that the people of Gaza have the rights and services they deserve.
