Gaza Conflict Fuels Health Crisis as Polio Resurfaces Amid Bombardment

As conflict rages in Gaza, hopes rise for a pause to administer polio vaccinations to an estimated 640,000 children. The World Health Organization confirmed the first poliovirus case in 25 years in Gaza. Amid ongoing Israeli strikes, families fear for children's health and safety in the besieged enclave.

Amidst the conflict in Gaza, a polio vaccination campaign hangs in the balance. The U.N. aims to vaccinate 640,000 children, yet violence has already resulted in 34 deaths. The World Health Organization confirmed the first Type 2 poliovirus case in 25 years, intensifying the urgency.

Juliette Touma from UNRWA hopes to start vaccinations by Sept. 1, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said only limited ceasefire plans are in place. Affected families, like Abdul-Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan's, are in dire straits, hoping for humanitarian aid amidst the violence.

Official resistance and ongoing bombings hinder vaccination efforts, leaving families trapped. The cycle of violence, initiated by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, has claimed over 40,600 lives and displaced nearly all 2.3 million Gaza residents, spotlighting the need for urgent international intervention.

(With inputs from agencies.)