UNRWA chief says Gaza polio vaccine drive has reached 90% of children
Philippe Lazzarini says ‘humanitarian pauses’ were respected and the plan is to begin rolling out the second doses at the end of the month
Polio vaccination coverage in Gaza has reached 90 percent, the head of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency said Monday, adding that the next step was to ensure hundreds of thousands of children got a second dose at the end of the month.
The campaign to vaccinate approximately 640,000 children in Gaza under 10 years of age against polio, which began on September 1, was a major undertaking for UNRWA and its partners amid to the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas.
The vaccination drive followed confirmation by the World Health Organization (WHO) last month that a baby had been partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such case in the Palestinian territory in 25 years.
More than 446,000 Palestinian children in central and south Gaza were vaccinated earlier this month before a campaign to vaccinate a final 200,000 children in north Gaza began on September 10 despite access restrictions, evacuation orders and shortages of fuel.
The first round of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza ended successfully, UNRWA’s chief Philippe Lazzarini said, adding that 90% of the enclave’s children had received a first dose.
“Parties to the conflict have largely respected the different required ‘humanitarian pauses’ showing that when there is a political will, assistance can be provided without disruption. Our next challenge is to provide children with their second dose at the end of September,” Lazzarini wrote on X.
On Friday, COGAT, the Defense Ministry body that coordinates Israeli policy in Gaza and the West Bank, said that 559,000 children were vaccinated across Gaza in the campaign, with the final push made in the northern Strip, where access is most limited.
COGAT offered its thanks to WHO and to UNICEF for its efforts in the campaign, and did note mention UNRWA, an organization Israel has repeatedly accused of collaborating with Hamas.
“We will continue working with our partners to facilitate humanitarian medical responses for the civilian population in Gaza,” COGAT said.
Last week, WHO said it was “confident” that it had hit 90% of the targeted population in the campaign, with more than 550,000 children across Gaza receiving a first dose.
