The Gaza Ministry of Health has launched a polio vaccination campaign in the southern Gaza Strip, specifically targeting children under the age of 10.
The campaign began in Khan Yunis, with the goal of vaccinating more than 90 percent of children in all regions of Gaza by September 12.
The vaccination campaign, which is carried out in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), began at Nasser Hospital after a joint press conference of these organizations.
Majdi Duhair, head of the technical committee overseeing the vaccination, said the campaign would first focus on central Gaza from September 1 to 4, then Khan Yunis from September 5 to 9, ending in Gaza City and the northern of the region from September 9 to 12.
The campaign comes amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where ongoing clashes and blockades have led to shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies. Deteriorating conditions have raised concerns about possible outbreaks of diseases, including polio.
The urgency of the campaign was underscored by the confirmation of Gaza’s first case of polio in a 10-month-old child last month. On August 16, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire to allow 640,000 children to be vaccinated, a request supported by UNRWA.
The polio vaccination campaign is taking place against the backdrop of Israeli military attacks in Gaza, which have resulted in more than 40,600 Palestinian deaths and more than 93,800 injuries since October 7.
