Gaza’s Silent Threat: Fighting disease during war – Documentary by UNICEF

14 August 2025

Humanitarian workers, on the mission of a lifetime, risk their lives to protect children.

Dr. Younis, a devoted father and grandfather, embarks on the mission of a lifetime: to vaccinate 600,000 children against polio in the midst of the war in Gaza.

Delivering vaccines in an active war zone is one of the most complex and urgent challenges faced by humanitarian workers, demanding extraordinary skills, courage and resilience.

Since October 2023, over 80 per cent of Gaza’s health, water and sanitation infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged by military operations, creating the perfect conditions for the spread of infectious diseases like polio.

Amid recurrent security threats, through logistical obstacles and with limited access to health services, Dr. Younis and his team lead an urgent immunization campaign in Gaza to protect vulnerable children from the spread of polio.

This is more than a story about a vaccination campaign. It is a powerful testament to the impact of war on children’s health — and a tribute to the courage of families and health workers striving to survive and care for one another in the most fragile of circumstances.

Watch the Film 

Credits

Directed and produced by Maria Fernanda Lauret

Produced by Rawan Eleyan and Juan Haro

Executive Producers Tanya Turkovich and Jonathan Crickx

Edited by Emily Kinskey and Alaa Seoudy

Cinematography by Mohammed Natteel and Ahmed Abu Ajwa

Field coordination by Sami Alhaw, Rawan Eleyan and Kazem Abdalmugni