The UN Security Council today addressed the situation in the Middle East. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, and in particular the risk of a polio epidemic, was at the centre of discussion after first cases became known and the WHO found traces of polio in sewage. Polio mainly affects children under the age of five. The disease attacks the nervous system and can lead to complete paralysis within a few hours. There is no treatment, prevention is the only solution. The destruction of the infrastructure, the lack of clean water and sanitary facilities and the insufficient access to healthcare increase the risk of the disease spreading on a large scale in Gaza. According to UNICEF figures, 640,000 children under the age of ten are at risk of polio in the Gaza Strip. ‘The United Nations and its partners have been advocating for months for safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access and are ready to take measures to prevent and contain polio,’ emphasised Switzerland in the Security Council. The UN is planning to carry out a polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip. Switzerland stated in the Security Council that it welcomes this campaign and is examining the possibility of providing financial support.
A ceasefire agreement, as called for by the Security Council in its Resolution 2735 of 10 June 2024, must be concluded as soon as possible. Switzerland therefore welcomes the mediation efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the United States and calls on the parties to participate constructively in these negotiations. In New York, Switzerland recalled that regardless of the outcome of these negotiations, international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to the conflict and all hostages still being held must be released immediately and unconditionally.
In New York, Switzerland also emphasised the continuing risk of a major regional escalation. In this context, it also condemned the ongoing violence by settlers in the West Bank against the Palestinian civilian population. Furthermore, Switzerland reiterated in the Council its urgent call for de-escalation, to which an immediate ceasefire in Gaza can also contribute. Switzerland also reiterated its support for the two-state solution as the foundation for peace in the Middle East.
