UN Middle East Briefing and Consultations : Focus on the Palestinian Cause
The Security Council holds an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”, notably the ‘disastrous’ humanitarian and health situation in the Gaza Strip devastated by the ongoing genocidal Zionist war since October 7, 2023.The dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, including the recent detection of type 2 poliovirus (polio), is expected to be a key focus of today’s meeting.
On 16 August, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to provide assurances guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for a polio vaccination campaign. He stressed that, although the “ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, a “Polio Pause is a must”.
A 16 August joint statement by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) said that two rounds of a polio vaccination campaign are expected to be launched across Gaza “at the end of August and September”. The statement requested to implement humanitarian pauses for seven days to allow for the two vaccination campaign rounds to take place. Today, members may be interested in an update from Wennesland about progress towards the start of the vaccination campaign.
The representative of Save the Children is expected to draw Council members’ attention to the devastating situation of children in the Gaza Strip—including widespread destruction, repeated displacement, and the loss of their parents—and highlight the extreme conditions in which humanitarians are operating in Gaza.
The briefer may also describe the factors that have led to the reemergence of polio in the Gaza Strip two decades after its eradication. A 20 August joint statement issued by several humanitarian organisations and medical professionals, including Save the Children, says that the reemergence of polio in Gaza is “a direct result of the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, and the Government of the Zionist entity’s restrictions on repairs and supplies”. These actions, together with “overcrowding, displacement, and a crippled healthcare system”, have created an environment ripe for the virus’ spread, according to the statement. The briefer may urge the conflict parties to facilitate humanitarian and medical access and stress the need for specific measures to respond to the polio outbreak and address humanitarian needs.
Participants are likely to express concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and call for the provision of aid at scale to Palestinians in need, with some likely to spotlight the dire condition of Palestinian women and children in Gaza.
