Rights Groups Express Renewed Concerns About Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

A Palestinian child looks on while being examined by a doctor at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, amid fears over the spread of polio after the first case was reported by the Ministry of health, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, August 18, 2024. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Rights groups on Thursday expressed renewed concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza after Israel’s latest evacuation orders in parts of the overcrowded central city of Deir al-Balah.
The polio virus has been circulating in the battered Palestinian enclave for the first time in 25 years, relief organization the International Rescue Committee said in a statement. It said the spread resulted from the destruction of hospitals and water infrastructure, along with overcrowded living conditions, reported The Associated Press.
“The news of polio in Gaza should be an alarm bell that more infectious diseases are on the way,” Dr. Jude Senkugu, the group's emergency health coordinator in the territory, said in the statement. “Without clean water, it is nearly impossible to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, as people do not have enough to drink, leaving them with no other choice but to drink contaminated water.”
Meanwhile, international medical organization Doctors Without Borders warned that shrinking living spaces would cause diseases to spread faster.
The majority of Gaza’s population of about 2 million have been displaced in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war since Oct. 7, often more than once. Israel has scaled up its evacuation orders over the past month.
“There is no room to put tents up. The overcrowding, severe lack of water, and minimal sanitation services are fueling the spread of diseases,” Doctors Without Borders' project coordinator Jacob Granger said in a statement. “We are unable to keep up with the overwhelming needs.”
Both organizations have echoed calls from global aid agencies for an immediate cease-fire.