The "Humanitarian Barometer 2026", published Sunday by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Poland, found broad awareness of the Gaza crisis among Polish adults and sharp criticism of Israel's conduct, with large majorities backing expanded humanitarian access.
Of the 70% of respondents who had encountered reporting on the Gaza war in the past year, 89% said they were aware people lacked food, 88% cited attacks on civilians, 80% noted strikes on medical facilities, and 79% believed Israel was blocking humanitarian aid.
Some 67% said civilians had not been adequately protected, and 69% that Israel had failed to ensure sufficient humanitarian access.
MSF Poland director Draginja Nadaždin told Poland's PAP news agency the results reflected a significant rise in awareness of the Palestinian humanitarian crisis in the second half of last year.
"Information about the starvation, killing, destruction of homes, and blocking of aid to Palestinians reached Polish society on a wide scale", she said, adding that the findings reflected growing empathy for Palestinians "despite Israeli propaganda targeting aid organizations".
Nadaždin said the situation on the ground remained dire. Since the ceasefire, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed. Israel has blocked aid since January, including medicines and medical equipment; half of Gaza's 37 hospitals have been destroyed; airstrikes continue; and overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of clean water are widespread. Humanitarian organizations cannot bring in power generators.
"Water engineers walk through rubble searching for old membranes to purify water", she said. Contaminated water has caused skin diseases, while Israeli-imposed blockades prevent delivery of pest control and disinfection supplies, allowing rats and fleas to spread through some medical facilities.
"Under these conditions we deliver babies, perform surgeries, and try to treat chronic diseases. In some situations we operate below standard. In Gaza, people are also dying from diseases that are entirely treatable", Nadaždin said.
She added that 4,000 children currently require urgent medical evacuation from Gaza — a process she described as complicated and slow.
"Around 100 people have been evacuated to third countries, including Italy and Portugal. Poland has not yet participated in such efforts, though we have held talks with the government on this", she said.
The survey found 86% of Poles believe Israel should grant independent humanitarian organizations access to Gaza, 81% support continued civilian aid, and 75% see a need to raise funds for this purpose.
On Poland's own role, 52% said the country should admit Gaza patients who cannot receive adequate care locally, and 69% said the Polish government should pursue diplomatic action to ensure Palestinians receive necessary assistance.
Some 45% of respondents said the Polish government had not done enough to counter what they described as genocide, while 46% said it had not sufficiently pressed for an end to attacks on medical and humanitarian personnel.
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Source: PAP