The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that the third phase of the United Nations' polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has been postponed due to escalating violence and intense bombardment in northern Gaza. This delay comes as a significant setback to the ongoing efforts to vaccinate nearly 120,000 children in the region.
UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Adele Khodr, expressed concerns that the postponement could lead to a spread of the poliovirus in Gaza and neighboring countries if children miss out on their second dose of the vaccine. The risk of more children being paralyzed is also a looming threat.
Residents of northern Gaza are facing dire conditions as Israel intensifies its military operation in the area, citing concerns of Hamas regrouping. The director of Gaza's health ministry highlighted the lack of essential supplies entering the region for 18 days, accusing Israel of obstructing international aid convoys.
During a news briefing, Col. Elad Goren, head of the Israeli military's humanitarian-civil effort in Gaza, stated that residents of Jabalya in northern Gaza have received assistance from previous months and that 90% of the population in the area have evacuated.
