UN Stops Aid Deliveries in Gaza Amid Security Concerns and Israeli Evacuation Orders
The United Nations has temporarily suspended aid deliveries in Gaza due to safety concerns following new evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, CNN reports, citing a senior UN official.
This pause in assistance may complicate the launch of an upcoming polio vaccination campaign in the region.
Israel’s military on Sunday ordered more evacuations in parts of Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, forcing many displaced Palestinians to flee again as the UN prepares to vaccinate more than 640,000 children amid concerns about the spread of the disease in the enclave.
Earlier this month, health authorities confirmed Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years in an unvaccinated 10-month-old. It came just weeks after sewage samples taken in Gaza in late June tested positive for the virus, prompting a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) that it was “just a matter of time” before it infects thousands of children.
The highly contagious disease, which mainly affects children under the age of 5, targets the nervous system and can cause paralysis and death in extreme cases.
On Monday, the Israeli agency responsible for approving aid into Gaza, COGAT, said more than 1.2 million doses of the vaccine had arrived in the strip through the Kerem Shalon crossing. It said the vaccination campaign, led by WHO and the UN children’s agency, would be conducted in coordination with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
According to the senior UN official, there will temporarily be no deliveries under the latest conditions.
Vaccination Campaign in Gaza
The resurgence of polio — a disease largely eradicated in much of the developed world — shows the dire circumstances facing Gaza’s 2 million residents, who have endured Israeli bombardment since October of last year. With up to 90% of the population internally displaced, many are struggling with shortages of food, medical supplies, and clean water.
Despite the challenging environment, the UN’s main relief agency in Gaza, UNRWA, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the occupied West Bank said on Tuesday that preparations for a vaccination campaign were still underway.
“UNRWA continues to deliver humanitarian assistance wherever possible in Gaza,” UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma stated to CNN. She emphasized that the humanitarian operation in the region “has become one of the most challenging in the world for the UN right now.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that the vaccination campaign is set to begin “in a few days” and is working to secure an additional 400,000 doses aimed at vaccinating 95% of children under the age of 10. It also confirmed the ongoing collaborations with international health partners to support healthcare workers in this crucial effort, but noted that Israeli military operations have hindered the movement of personnel.
A UN official indicated that despite the evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, operations will not cease because “the people need us there.” However, the UN will need to find a new location for its activities, having recently relocated its main operations to Deir al-Balah after prior evacuation orders were issued for Rafah in southern Gaza last May.
