Polio vaccination campaign in Gaza begins again as Israel continues to attack | Israel-Palestine Conflicts News
The WHO says six people, including four children, were injured in a strike on a polio vaccination center in northern Gaza.
United Nations agencies have begun a new phase of the campaign to vaccinate children against polio in northern Gaza amid concerns that Israel's offensive and access constraints could make it impossible to reach other areas.
The UN children's agency (UNICEF) reported on Saturday that the campaign to vaccinate against the virus – which can cripple or even kill children – has resumed in northern Gaza after several delays “despite extremely difficult conditions”.
The first phase started in September and reached more than 560,000 children aged over one day and under 10 years old. Authorities are now trying to administer the second and final dose of the oral vaccine.
“This polio campaign is important, but while we are protecting children with vaccines, they will continue to die and suffer every day until complete and permanent eradication is achieved, which is urgently needed more than ever,” said UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee agency. .
The UN said the aim of the second round of the campaign in the north is to vaccinate an estimated 119,000 children, but “achieving this target is now unlikely due to access problems”.
The UN agencies said 216 teams are now working in 106 designated areas to deliver this mission, including Palestinians recently displaced by Israel's offensive in northern Gaza.
Despite the most difficult conditions, the #Police the vaccination campaign has resumed in the north of #Gaza today, by the MoH of Palestine, @UNICEF, @WHOoPt, @UNRWA & partners.
⁰#For Every ChildHealth
⁰Read our statement here: pic.twitter.com/GrTi8kTCBQ– UNICEF Palestine (@UNICEFpalestine) November 2, 2024
The situation in the northern parts of Gaza has been described as “apocalyptic” by the UN as Israel continues to block humanitarian aid and continues its attacks from land, air and sea.
Several strikes were reported in the north on Saturday, with one of the latest this afternoon killing at least two people in Jabalia area, Naza.
More than 43,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began, and more than 101,800 have been injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The vaccination center is hitting hard
Later on Saturday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said four children were injured in a strike at a polio vaccination center in Gaza City.
“The Sheikh Radwan health care center in northern Gaza was attacked today when parents were bringing their children for life-saving polio vaccinations in an area where it was agreed to allow vaccinations to continue,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. to X, without saying who started the strike.
“Six people were injured, including four children,” he added.
Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, said the facility was targeted with a sound bomb by an Israeli quadcopter.
“We know that when the Israelis shoot bombs, or bullets or bullets, there are many fragments that fall after this attack. At least three children were injured in this attack,” he said.
Khoudary said thousands of children are expected to miss the target as Israeli attacks and military forces prevent authorities from reaching other areas in the north. Those include Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon, which have been the hardest hit by the Israeli siege that has killed more than a thousand people in the past month.
Polio was eradicated from Gaza 25 years ago, but the destruction of the health care system in the area as a result of the Israeli attack created many health problems, which saw the virus spread again.
A 10-month-old Palestinian baby was partially paralyzed by the virus earlier this year, prompting the campaign.
But this campaign will not only benefit those inside the area, as the authorities are also trying to prevent the spread to neighboring countries, including Israel.
