The United Nations has initiated the second round of an emergency polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, as reported by the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Monday. The campaign has commenced in the central area of Gaza with the collaboration of the Palestinian health ministry, the World Health Organization, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
UNICEF emphasized their unwavering commitment to halting the polio outbreak in the region. This initiative comes in response to the cancellation of vaccinations at a school due to significant damage caused by an airstrike, as stated by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
The UN launched the polio vaccination campaign last month following the destruction of water and sanitation systems by Israeli airstrikes, which led to a resurgence of the deadly disease in the besieged Gaza Strip. The vaccination drive, facilitated by temporary ceasefires agreed upon by Israel, was prompted by the detection of the highly infectious poliovirus in sewage samples in June. Subsequently, in August, a baby boy was diagnosed with polio, marking the first case in Gaza in 25 years.
