Gaza to complete second round of polio vaccinations for children. Daily Top Stories | Friday: Middle East, Sudan, Spain UN
The top news of the day at the UN and around the world: the final stage of the polio vaccination campaign will resume in northern Gaza, more than 135,000 people have been forced to flee due to violence in Sudan’s El Gezira state in recent days, devastating floods in Spain and climate change, and the re-displacement of Syrian refugees from Lebanon.
Vaccinating Gaza’s children
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday that the third and final phase of the second round of polio vaccinations will begin tomorrow in northern Gaza. It was postponed from October 23, 2024, due to intense bombing and mass evacuation orders, lack of access and guaranteed humanitarian pauses. The campaign is to vaccinate 120,000 children in the northern enclave. According to WHO and UNICEF, the humanitarian pauses will be extended by two hours and are expected to be observed daily from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Violence in Sudan
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the recent attacks by the Rapid Intervention Force in Sudan’s Gezira state amid escalating violence across the country, the UN press service reported. Those responsible for serious violations of international law, including wartime rape, must be held accountable, the UN chief stressed. He called on the parties to the conflict to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access and stop hostilities. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 135,000 people fled from settlements in Gezira between 20 and 30 October.
Floods in Spain
Record heavy rains and flash floods in Spain have caused widespread loss of life, significant destruction and economic losses. The international community’s priority must be to save lives, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, extreme weather events that cause severe floods and droughts have become more likely and more destructive due to human-induced climate change.
Syria Crisis
Syria is being drawn into a regional conflict, members of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic said today. The dramatic escalation has led to the latest displacement of more than 300,000 Syrian refugees, this time fleeing Israeli bombing of Lebanon. They fled back to Syria, which itself is experiencing a humanitarian and economic crisis and is increasingly subject to Israeli airstrikes.