Israeli attacks, mass displacement and lack of access have forced UN agencies to postpone the second round of polio vaccinations in northern Gaza. This has deprived 119,279 children of protection. When this round began in mid-October Israel granted six-hour local pauses to allow teams to reach more than 400,000 children aged under 10 in the south and centre of the strip.
James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s fund Unicef, told the BBC the “situation is getting worse. We need a ceasefire or substantial pauses”. Vaccinations are not effective unless 90 per cent of children are covered and two doses are given for 90 per cent protection, while delay of the second dose could limit potency.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said: “Humanitarian pauses are essential for [the campaign’s] success, allowing partners to deliver supplies to health facilities, families to safely access vaccination sites and mobile teams of health workers to reach children in their communities.”
UN secretary general António Guterres posted on X: “We must stop the polio outbreak before children are paralysed and poliovirus spreads further.” Gaza’s first case of polio in 25 years paralysed both legs of a 10-month-old boy in July.
The campaign’s first round conducted by the WHO, Unicef and UN Palestinian refugee agency Unrwa in September covered 559,000 children.
The Guardian quoted Israel’s military unit dealing with the flow of aid and goods into Gaza as saying second-round vaccinations in the north would begin in coming days, “after a joint assessment and at the request” of WHO and Unicef”.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that Israel aims to “empty” north Gaza of Palestinians, where in early October Israeli forces launched an intensive campaign with the stated objective of preventing Hamas fighters from regrouping. Israeli forces have besieged Jabalia refugee camp and bombarded the cities of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. Some 400,000 remained in the north before the offensive, which has driven 60,000 to flee to central Gaza, the UN reports. Schools and displaced shelters have been struck. Gaza’s civil defence called the situation “catastrophic” and halted rescue and recovery operations.
The Indonesian, Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals, the sole functioning care providers, have been targeted. The aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières has called on Israel to halt attacks on health facilities. Gaza has regressed to the early 1950s, Unrwa director Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X. Gazans have been deprived of food, water and medical care. “People are just waiting to die. They feel deserted, hopeless, and alone,” he said.
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