Mother of Young Gaza Polio Patient Urges for Assistance

In a troubling development, the World Health Organization has confirmed the first reported case of polio in the Gaza Strip in 25 years. The diagnosis was made for a young child named Abdul Rahman, whose mother, Neveen Abu Al-Jidyan, expressed her helplessness in securing treatment for her son amidst the dire conditions in a camp for displaced Palestinians.

Living in a tent and lacking access to medication has made it difficult for Al-Jidyan to care for her son. “We haven’t given him any treatments. We live in a tent and there is no medication,” she shared with CBS News. At 35 years old and as the mother of nine children, Al-Jidyan was forced to relocate her family from northern Gaza to Deir el-Balah due to ongoing conflict.

Abdul Rahman, born into an unstable environment, was just a month old when his family was forced to flee their home. His mother recounted, “Abdul Rahman was supposed to take his vaccination on the first day of the war, and our home was targeted and his medical booklet was left at home. As we were moving from one place to another, I couldn’t give him the vaccination.”

According to reports, over 2.4 million residents of Gaza have been displaced from their homes. They have been squeezed into a humanitarian zone designated by the Israeli military, which has been shrinking rapidly due to increasing evacuation orders. The Israel Defense Forces assert that these orders allow them to continue their operations against Hamas and other militants in Gaza.

The humanitarian zone has dwindled to just 15.8 square miles, accounting for about 11% of the Gaza Strip, as reported by the United Nations. This area is lacking essential services, and journalists visiting the zone observed unsanitary conditions, including sewage accumulating near tents where families are sheltering.

Al-Jidyan described how her son had initially been developing normally, even approaching the milestone of walking. However, she said that he suddenly fell ill, experiencing vomiting and a high fever. “I took him to the hospital and they told me there is nothing they can do,” she lamented, “they know his condition, but there is no treatment. When the virus hit him, he changed in one night.”

While reflecting on her son’s illness, Al-Jidyan stated her belief that the poor living conditions in the camp played a significant role in his health decline. “Our living conditions — we don’t have clean water, clean food. We live in a tent and nothing is clean here,” she emphasized.

Prior to his illness, Abdul Rahman was an active child, crawling and playing in the sand. However, Al-Jidyan explained that maintaining cleanliness in such conditions is virtually impossible. “I breastfed him and gave him cereal and water without boiling it. We didn’t have cooking gas,” she noted, highlighting the extreme challenges they face.

The stigma surrounding polio has also affected her family. Al-Jidyan revealed that her neighbors in the camp are frightened of her son. “They are scared of us. They are scared of carrying him. We were waiting in line for food stamps and as soon as they saw Abdul Rahman in the line, they ran away,” she recounted. She added that she feels overwhelmed by the situation, noting, “I can’t cope with his illness, and my son is not recovering at all. It is difficult for him to recover in this situation and in such a dirty environment, and there is no medication.”

In a heartfelt plea to the world, Al-Jidyan asked for compassion, stating, “Please have mercy on my son. I wish he could move like before. I hope no children will catch this virus. I want treatment for my child, whether in this country or abroad.”

In response to the growing health crisis, United Nations agencies are attempting to initiate a mass polio vaccination program. However, UNRWA, the main U.N. agency assisting Palestinians, has made it clear that a humanitarian pause is essential for these efforts to succeed. “We cannot vaccinate children under a sky full of bombs and strikes. We need humanity,” they warned.

Negotiations for a new cease-fire in the ongoing Gaza war, led by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, are underway. However, there is little indication of an imminent resolution, despite multiple discussions taking place in recent weeks.