UNICEF

A poliovirus variant has been detected in six wastewater samples in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah, two cities in southern and central Gaza.  In a Facebook post on Friday, the Gaza Health Ministry called it a “health disaster.” The testing, done in co-ordination with UNICEF, found the presence of Type 2 poliovirus, which causes the polio disease. Officials in Gaza said the presence of the virus was caused by the severe congestion of people in small areas and the scarcity of available water in the strip. The samples were taken from sewage water that runs between densely populated areas and the tents of displaced people.  Polio is a highly infectious disease that can infect the central nervous system and damage nerve cells that activate muscles. However, in some cases, it causes no symptoms and goes undetected. No one in Gaza has been treated for polio-related symptoms yet, the WHO told The Associated Press. Similarities to Egyp...

The weekly round-up on the climate crisis and data on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels will increase by less than 1% this year (much less than the nearly 4% increase seen last year) thanks to the rapid growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles that has outpaced the demand for coal.That's it emerges from one new analysis of the International Energy Agency (IEA), according to which the increase of almost 300 million tonnes (MtCO2) was much smaller than the increase of almost 2 billion tonnes expected for 2021. However, demand for oil is expected to grow more than any other fossil fuel in 2022, with an increase in CO2 emissions of around 180 million tonnes, largely driven by the transport sector, after the easing of restrictions related to the pandemic.The aviation sector contributes around three-quarters of the increase in emissions from oil use, particularly due to increased international air travel, although avi...