Gaza records 45 cases of acute flaccid paralysis amid worsening famine under Israeli siege

The Gaza Ministry of Health has said that 45 cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) have been recorded in the enclave over the past two months—an unprecedented spike amid the worsening humanitarian crisis under Israeli siege.

"With no capacity for accurate diagnosis, these cases may be caused by poliovirus or Guillain-Barre Syndrome," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The surge in AFP cases is being linked to catastrophic environmental and public health conditions resulting from the Israeli assault and blockade.

The Health Ministry cited severe malnutrition, water contamination, collapsed sewage systems, waste accumulation, and the spread of infectious diseases as contributing factors to the neurological disorder, which causes sudden muscle weakness and can lead to permanent paralysis.

The ministry issued an urgent humanitarian appeal, calling on international institutions and aid organisations to intervene immediately to stop the assault, rescue the health system and address the collapse in living conditions.

Worsening humanitarian crisis

Gaza is enduring one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history, with a deepening famine intersecting with a months-long Israeli genocide that began on October 7, 2023.

The Health Ministry announced that six medical centres, including a hospital and Gaza’s central oxygen station, have ceased operations due to fuel shortages after Israel’s full closure of border crossings in March 2025.

It warned that all remaining hospitals may shut down within 48 hours if fuel and medical supplies are not restored.

Health officials reported that 101 Palestinians—80 of them children—have died from famine and malnutrition since October, including 15 people, four of them children, in the last 24 hours alone.

Gaza’s Government Media Office warned on Sunday that the territory is on the brink of "mass death" after more than 140 consecutive days without access to humanitarian aid.

Since October, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians—most of them women and children—and devastated Gaza’s infrastructure.

___

Source: TRT