The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of an increasing risk of infectious disease outbreaks across the Gaza Strip, due to chronic water scarcity and the lack of proper waste and sanitation management.
According to the UN Information Center, UNRWA confirmed that approximately 40,000 cases of hepatitis A have been reported in its shelters and health centers since last October. Meanwhile, health partners are preparing for the worst-case scenario of a potential polio outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously stated that efforts are underway to procure vaccines. However, as with food and medical supplies, simply transporting vaccines across borders is not sufficient. The WHO has called for a ceasefire and at least the opening of roads and safe access to allow partners to reach everyone in Gaza with the necessary vaccinations.
Simultaneously, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted ongoing obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, including continued hostilities, unexploded ordnance, damaged and impassable roads, attacks on aid convoys, lack of public order and safety, the closure of the Rafah crossing, and restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on the entry of certain humanitarian supplies.
The UN office indicated that these factors significantly hinder the entry of aid into Gaza and the delivery of essential services and supplies to hundreds of thousands of people across the strip.
OCHA reported that of the 157 relief missions planned to northern Gaza last month, Israeli authorities only facilitated 67 missions. The remaining missions were either refused, obstructed, or canceled due to security, logistical, or operational reasons.
