Gaza: Polio could spread unless vaccines reach the war-torn north
“The polio outbreak in Gaza must be stopped before more children are paralyzed and the virus spreads,” said Louise Wateridge, spokeswoman for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA. “The vaccination campaign must be facilitated in the north through the implementation of humanitarian moratoriums.”
To stop transmission, at least 90% of children in every community and neighborhood must receive a second round of vaccinations following the relative success of the first round last month.
A shipment of vaccines arrives in Gaza, where United Nations agencies and partners aim to immunize more than 640,000 children against polio, a disease that was eliminated 25 years ago but has re-emerged in war.
Polio vaccine campaign hampered
The third and final phase of the operation scheduled to begin more than 24 hours ago across the north had to be postponed due to escalating violence, intense shelling, mass evacuation orders and lack of Humanitarian moratoriums are warranted.
“Current conditions, including ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, continue to endanger the safety and mobility of people in northern Gaza.making it impossible for families to safely get their children vaccinated and for medical staff to be unable to function,” Ms. Wateridge said.
The initiative aims to vaccinate about 120,000 children across the North.
Since the beginning second round of the polio campaign on October 14, 442,855 children under 10 years old were successfully vaccinated in central and southern Gaza Strip, reached 94% of the target in these areas.
The ‘nightmare’ quickly got worse
“The nightmare in northern Gaza is growing,” UNRWA’s Ms Wateridge warned. “For nearly three weeks, we have repeatedly warned that ongoing military operations are putting tens of thousands of civilians in grave danger.”
More than 400,000 people remain trapped in the north, where Israel has stepped up attacks because it believes Hamas militants are regrouping there.
A UNRWA spokesman said people in the north were experiencing extreme suffering with “terrifying levels of death, injury and destruction”.
“Civilians are trapped under rubble, the sick and injured do not receive medical care, families lack food, their homes are destroyed, they have no shelter and nowhere is safe. ”
Deaths in Gaza ‘broadcast live’
She said in the past three weeks, no food or aid has reached the North, nor are there any markets or stores selling food.
The military offensive has also cut off access to supplies necessary for survival, including water.
UNRWA health sites in the north and eight water wells in Jabalia are no longer operational and fuel to operate water facilities has run out, forcing people to risk their lives just to find drinking water.
While UNRWA and the World Food Program (WFP) facilitated the passage of a food convoy through Gaza City on October 15. The Israeli siege has prevented the food convoy from reaching residents there for the past three weeks, she said and added that UNRWA teams are ready to provide services at shelters, but require supplies to do so.
“Displaced families in northern Gaza have a great sense of frustration due to the horror they are facing, which they describe as a live television broadcast of their death and suffering.she said. “We are receiving desperate pleas from colleagues and friends in northern Gaza.”
The war in Gaza has seen an unprecedented number of attacks on United Nations facilities and personnel. (document)
Attacks on UNRWA personnel and facilities
In Gaza, at least 232 UNRWA staff were killed, more than 200 of the organization’s facilities were damaged or destroyed, and draft legislation in Israel’s Knesset seeks to end operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. , UN agency head Philippe Lazzarini speak on Thursday at a conference held in Paris on the escalating crisis in Lebanon.
“The failure to effectively repel efforts to intimidate and weaken the United Nations sets a dangerous precedent.”, he warned.
Emphasizing that these attacks were not limited to UNRWA, he said “they are attacks on our common multilateral system”.
“ONE renewed commitment to multilateralism and our shared values, enshrined in UN Chartermust guide our response in Lebanon and across the region”, Mr. Lazzarini said.
