Gaza children receive polio vaccines Gaza: 160,000 more children vaccinated against polio Humanitarian aid
The UN Relief and Workers’ Agency for the Palestinians (UNRWA) says more than 160,000 children have been vaccinated against polio on the first day of a polio vaccination campaign in southern Gaza.
UN agencies and partners in Gaza will continue to vaccinate “as many children as possible” in the southern areas during agreed humanitarian pauses before moving north in the war-torn enclave, UNRWA added.
Thousands of families visited health centers to receive vaccines. In southern Gaza, more than 152,000 children were vaccinated in Khan Younis, almost 8,800 in Rafah, and about a thousand more in other localities in the south.
Earlier, we recall, the first stage of this large-scale campaign was successfully carried out in the central areas of Gaza, where more than 187,000 children under the age of 10 were protected against polio. To date, the combined figure in central and southern Gaza is 354,786 vaccinated children.
340,000 children need to be vaccinated in the south
A total of 340,000 children in southern Gaza are planned to be vaccinated by Saturday. Vaccinations will be carried out in schools and health centers. In some cases, doctors will visit the children’s homes to ensure that no one is left behind.
The third and final phase is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 9, and will last for three days. The entire campaign will be repeated four weeks later for the second dose of the drug.
The campaign is being carried out by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNRWA, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other humanitarian partners.
Ban on Journalists
Almost 11 months after the start of the war triggered by Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, Israeli authorities continue to ban foreign journalists from entering Gaza.
“It is common practice for foreign journalists to cover conflicts and wars,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, calling on international media to do more to gain access to the enclave and report freely.
“I admire Palestinian journalists. Even though many have been killed, those who remain continue to do their job with courage. But they need the support of their colleagues,” he said.
Violence in the West Bank
Clashes continue to be reported in the occupied West Bank, with two Palestinian children killed in Jenin and Tulkarm. UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Thor Wennesland condemned the actions that led to the deaths of minors.
“I am shocked by the tragic killing of two children in the last two days by Israeli security forces during military operations in Jenin and Tulkarm,” he wrote on his X social media page on Thursday.
I am appalled by the tragic killing of two children in the last two days by Israeli security forces during military operations in Jenin and Tulkarm
“I call for an immediate and thorough investigation into these incidents, stressing the urgent need to bring those responsible to justice and ensure the protection of all civilians. Every child’s life is precious, and the loss of so many young lives serves as a grim reminder of how urgent it is that decisive action be taken today to stop the violence.”
UNRWA also confirmed that the scale of violence and destruction in the West Bank is “growing by the hour.” According to the UN agency, the past week has been the worst for Palestinian civilians in the West Bank since November last year, with seven children among the many dead. “This is unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately,” UNRWA insists.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that health facilities have been under virtual siege for more than a week, with the movement of ambulances and medical personnel severely restricted.
Amid growing instability and excessive use of force, the situation of the population is deteriorating, with more people in need of emergency assistance.