As the first full year of the war on Gaza approaches, the devastating effects of this bloody war are becoming increasingly clear. This war, which spared neither man, nature nor infrastructure, has turned more than 2,000,000 Gazans into internally displaced persons living in harsh conditions lacking the most basic necessities of life such as water, food, medicine and healthcare.

The destruction of the city's infrastructure, especially those related to sanitation and waste disposal, has made the situation worse.

In the first months of the war, many international and human rights organizations warned that the people of Gaza would be vulnerable to the spread of diseases and epidemics.

Unfortunately, this warning has become a reality, as last month the first case of polio was recorded among children in Gaza after it had disappeared for more than 25 years, which increased the suffering of the people of Gaza.

In response, international and health organizations intervened to save more than 640,000 Gazan children from this epidemic.

Under international pressure, the Israeli war machine agreed to a partial truce so that the Palestinian Ministry of Health, in cooperation with UNRWA and international organizations, could vaccinate children through oral drops against this disease.

Palestinian medical teams have begun their vaccination work this week despite all the difficulties they face, as they are operating alternative headquarters due to most of Gaza’s hospitals being out of service, their main headquarters being destroyed, and a large number of their medical staff being killed while performing their duty. However, they are still working with determination and strength, working day and night to save as many of their people as they can.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health warned that the continuation of this war and the lack of basic resources will lead in the future to the emergence of more epidemics among Gazan citizens, especially with the arrival of winter, when the rate of diseases and viruses increases due to the low temperatures and heavy rainfall, while Gazans continue to live in tents and shelters that lack the minimum requirements for protection from winter, which is the second winter that the Gaza Strip has experienced in light of the ongoing Israeli war.