Rep. Summer Lee Leads 14 Colleagues in Calling on Secretaries Blinken and Austin to Secure Medical Truce for Polio Vaccination Campaign in Gaza

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Rep. Summer Lee Leads 14 Colleagues in Calling on Secretaries Blinken and Austin to Secure Medical Truce for Polio Vaccination Campaign in Gaza

WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 20, 2024 – Today, Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA), along with 14 of her Congressional colleagues, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, urging swift action to facilitate a medical truce in Gaza to address an escalating public health crisis. The letter emphasizes the urgent need for an uninterrupted polio vaccination campaign to prevent a regional health catastrophe.

Citing reports that 7,000–10,000 children in Gaza have been prevented from the second round of polio vaccinations due to ongoing hostilities, Congresswoman Lee stressed the dire consequences of failing to vaccinate vulnerable populations. The letter outlines the severe risks of polio spreading within Gaza and to neighboring nations, including Israel and the United States, with the potential to extend even further given global interconnectedness.

Congresswoman Lee’s letter highlights the following key concerns:

• Preventable Disease: Polio is a highly contagious virus, primarily affecting children, that can cause lifelong paralysis or death. Vaccination is nearly 100% effective in preventing the disease when completed in a timely manner.
• Regional Risks: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are already at least 500 asymptomatic carriers in Gaza. With shared water sources such as the coastal aquifer connecting Gaza with cities in Israel, including Ashkelon and Ashdod, the potential for cross-border spread is significant.
• Global Implications: The interconnectedness of the Middle East and the United States, coupled with relatively low immunization rates in certain U.S. communities, underscores the potential for outbreaks to reach American shores. A 2022 polio case in New York was genetically linked to vaccine-derived strains found in Jerusalem and London wastewater.

“Polio is a disease we have the tools to prevent, yet thousands of children in Gaza are at risk of infection due to the ongoing violence,” said Congresswoman Summer Lee. “This is not just a regional issue—uncontrolled outbreaks could have global repercussions. The U.S. must act urgently to press for a medical truce to save lives, prevent further suffering, and ensure the health security of the region and beyond.”

The letter calls on the U.S. government to:

• Urge the Israeli government to honor its commitments to facilitate the vaccination campaign.
• Press for a temporary cessation of hostilities to allow medical teams to reach children in northern Gaza, including Beit Lahia, Beit Hanoun, and Jabaliya, before the campaign ends on November 21, 2024.
• Provide necessary humanitarian assistance to stabilize Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure and prevent a broader health crisis.

Congresswoman Lee emphasized the importance of collaborative international efforts to address the health and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning of the devastating consequences of inaction.

This letter is signed by Reps. Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Jesús Garcia (IL-04), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Al Green (TX-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Greg Casar (TX-35), André Carson (IN-07), Cori Bush (MO-01), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16).

This letter was also endorsed by American Federation of Ramallah Palestine (AFRP), Arab Americans 4Ward, Human Rights First, Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Peace Action, Rebuilding Alliance, and Sunrise Movement.

You can find a copy of the full letter here.