From enumeration to inference: what the Gaza Mortality Survey reveals—and misses—about counting deaths in the Gaza Strip
Abstract
In areas of armed conflict, estimates of mortality do more than simply tally the death toll. These estimates can shape the scale and structure of humanitarian responses and serve as mechanisms for documenting violations of international law with the granularity required for accountability. Yet, as the genocide in the Gaza Strip has shown, there is often a central paradox in these epidemiological studies: the more devastating the harm to civilian infrastructure, data collectors, and health systems, the more difficult it can be to analyse a death toll.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Health and Conflict Studies
Migration
Health and Trauma
Global Maternal and Child Health
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Lancet Global Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- e480–e482
- Publication date
- 18 February 2026
- Language
- EN