UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly in light of the first reported case of polio in years involving an unvaccinated 10-month-old child. The child’s symptoms were confirmed to be polio after tests conducted in Jordan’s capital Amman. Guterres has called for a seven-day pause in fighting to allow aid agencies to deliver 1.6 million doses of the nOPV2 polio vaccine to the strip in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease that mostly affects children under the age of five.
The vaccination campaign, expected to launch at the end of August and September, will involve a collaboration between the Palestinian Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and other partners. Over 640,000 children under ten years of age are set to receive two drops of the nOPV2 vaccine during each round of the campaign, administered by 708 teams at various healthcare facilities across Gaza.
The devastating impact of the ongoing conflict in Gaza is also highlighted, with over 40,000 deaths reported due to Israeli airstrikes and attacks since October 2023. The destruction of vital infrastructure, including hospitals, wastewater treatment plants, and sewage pumps, has exacerbated the health crisis, leading to the spread of various diseases and creating unsanitary conditions that are conducive to further outbreaks.
As Gaza remains isolated from the rest of the region, the call for a humanitarian pause in fighting to address the polio outbreak and deliver much-needed aid underscores the urgent need for international assistance to alleviate the suffering of the people in the enclave.
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