UN-Led Polio Vaccination Campaign Begins in Gaza Amidst Ongoing Conflict
A crucial United Nations-led polio vaccination campaign for hundreds of thousands of children in war-torn Gaza began on Sunday, amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, CNN reports.
The initiative, which aims to immunize over 90% of children under the age of 10, is being carried out in phases, facilitated by temporary pauses in fighting agreed upon by Israel.
The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has set a goal of immunizing 640,000 children across Gaza.
The campaign officially launched on Sunday in Gaza’s “middle areas,” following a pilot phase on Saturday where a first group of babies received polio vaccinations.
Palestinian health officials have stressed that a “real ceasefire” is essential for the vaccination drive to be fully successful.
“However, it must be said that if the international community wants this campaign to succeed, everyone knows that this virus does not stop at borders and can reach everywhere,” said Deputy Health Minister Yousef Abu Al-Reesh during the campaign launch. “There needs to be a ceasefire so that the teams can reach everyone who is targeted by this campaign.”
The vaccination effort, which is set to span three three-day periods from September 1st to September 12th, has been met with concerns about the Israeli military’s commitment to the temporary pauses in fighting.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini emphasized the urgency of the situation.
“For this to work, parties to the conflict must respect the temporary area pauses,” Lazzarini wrote on X. “For the sake of children across the region, a lasting ceasefire is overdue.”
The World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed the call for peace.
“Children in Gaza are receiving much-needed polio vaccines today,” he said on X. “Ultimately, the best vaccine for these children is peace.”
The return of polio to Gaza underscores the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict. The highly infectious virus was found in sewage samples in June, marking the first case in the territory in 25 years.
Before the war, Gaza had near-universal polio vaccination coverage. However, the conflict has disrupted healthcare services, leading to a drop in vaccination rates below 90%.
The polio vaccination drive comes as aid agencies report increasing attacks on their convoys. One charity stated that an Israeli airstrike on a humanitarian vehicle killed several employees of a transportation company. The Israeli military maintains that it targeted “armed men” who had taken over the convoy.
