From Polio to malnutrition: The silent epidemic killing Gaza’s children

The New Arab reported on Friday that Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have caused massive destruction, along with environmental and health crises in the enclave.

According to the report, diseases such as polio, meningitis, severe respiratory infections, and Guillain-Barré syndrome have resurfaced among children.

The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that in recent months:

▪️ 452 cases of meningitis,

▪️ 103,000 cases of scabies,

▪️ 65,000 cases of skin rashes,

▪️ 11,000 cases of chickenpox,

▪️ 71,000 cases of hepatitis A,

▪️ 167,000 cases of dysentery,

▪️ 1,160 cases of spinal fever,

▪️ and 64 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (three of which were fatal) have been identified.

Hospital images and testimonies show children suffering from severe respiratory issues, temporary paralysis, malnutrition, and neurological damage.

In the pediatric intensive care unit at Rantisi Hospital in Gaza, three-year-old Ezzedine is connected to a ventilator. Severe lung inflammation and breathing difficulties have twice pushed him to the brink of cardiac arrest. Doctors say these conditions stem from smoke and dust caused by bombings and explosions, and that treatment is both difficult and prolonged.

In the same hospital, eight-year-old Lara survived after 50 days on a ventilator with the rare Guillain-Barré syndrome, but now suffers from severe malnutrition, her weight reduced by half. The report notes that Lara lost her father in recent attacks, and her family cannot afford proper food to support her recovery.

Infants such as six-month-old Malek and 35-day-old Mohammed, both diagnosed with meningitis, are struggling with constant fever, vomiting, and feeding difficulties.

Some newborns have suffered brain and nerve damage due to lack of oxygen and medicine, with doctors warning that treatment capacity is extremely limited and many of these children urgently need medical evacuation outside Gaza.

Hospital wards are overflowing with sick children, many forced to lie on the floor. The lack of equipment and medicine, insufficient food, and limited hospital space pose a grave threat to children’s lives. Parents fear that if hospitals shut down again or medical staff are forced to leave, the number of victims will rise sharply.