International

WHO, “extremely concerned” about the possible outbreak of a polio outbreak in Gaza

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was “extremely concerned” about a possible polio outbreak in Gaza after detecting type 2 vaccine-based poliovirus (VDPV2) in six environmental samples taken in the Strip.

Although at the moment the virus has only been isolated from the environment, the UN health agency assured that there is a “high risk of spreading” of this outbreak within Gaza and internationally if it does not act “quickly and optimally.”

“We believe that there is a high risk of spreading the circulating poliovirus not only due to its detection, but also to the serious situation of water sanitation in the Strip,” the head of the WHO emergency services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ayadil Saberkov, said at a virtual conference from Gaza.

The local official assured that the WHO is already developing epidemiological research and a risk assessment on the ground to identify the source of the detected poliovirus and determine the necessary recommendations in the face of a possible outbreak.

These recommendations will include, for example, the need for a mass vaccination campaign, the type of vaccine to be used and the population group to be vaccinated.

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However, asked about the health situation in the Strip, Saberkov acknowledged that the implementation of these measures will be “very difficult” due to the almost total paralysis of the Gaza health system, the lack of water and sanitation and the difficulty of the population to access health services.

Faced with this situation, he said he was “very worried” not only about a possible polio outbreak, but also “about the different outbreaks of communicable diseases that may occur in Gaza.”

WHO hopes to complete its evaluation work during this week and will also transfer its recommendations to the health authorities of neighboring countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Israel, in order to prevent a spread at the international level.

International

Iran Reports 201 Dead, 747 Injured After U.S. and Israeli Strikes

The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported Sunday night (local time) that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured following attacks carried out by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.

A spokesperson for the humanitarian organization said more than 220 rescue teams have been deployed across affected areas and that relief operations are continuing without interruption. The official highlighted the difficulty of treating the large number of wounded and the urgent need for additional resources in impacted provinces.

Out of Iran’s 31 provinces, 24 have reported damage, according to a statement carried by the Isna news agency. This marks the first overall casualty toll released by Iranian state-affiliated media since the launch of the offensive.

Among the dead are 85 schoolgirls from a school in the southern city of Minab, according to the country’s judiciary. “The number of martyrs at the Minab girls’ school has risen to 85,” the local prosecutor’s office said, as quoted by the judiciary’s website, Mizan Online.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian described the attack as a “savagery” that “constitutes a new black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors.”

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Meanwhile, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely amid concerns about possible further reprisals and the broader impact on Middle East stability, energy markets, and global security.

AFP noted that it was unable to independently verify the casualty figures or the circumstances surrounding the events.

International

Pope Leo XIV Urges End to ‘Spiral of Violence’ in Middle East

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, following military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent retaliatory bombardments in the region.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I urge the parties involved to assume their moral responsibility and stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” the pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Speaking during the Angelus prayer, the U.S.-born pope said stability and peace cannot be achieved through threats or weapons. “Stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats or with arms that sow destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue,” he declared.

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics also called for diplomacy to “regain its role” amid escalating tensions.

In addition, the pope urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to urgently resume dialogue after several days of clashes between the two countries.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.