In a significant push to combat polio in Gaza, UNICEF announced the arrival of 1.2 million doses of Type 2 novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV) on Monday, according to a statement on the social media platform X.
The initiative, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and other partners, aims to vaccinate over 640,000 children in the region.
This delivery marks a critical phase in the ongoing vaccination campaign against polio in Gaza, amidst urgent calls for a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure access to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children.
With the backdrop of continuing warfare and multiple displacements of civilians, WHO, UNRWA, and other partners are coordinating efforts to reach unvaccinated children, ensuring they receive necessary immunizations against this disabling disease.
UNICEF spokesman Kazem Abu Khalaf has issued a grave warning regarding the health crisis unfolding in Gaza due to the spread of a new polio variant. Abu-Khalaf highlighted the critical shortage of necessary vaccines in Palestine to combat this dangerous virus.
In an interview, Abu-Khalaf stated that the health situation in Gaza is dire, with the resurgence of polio—a virus that had been eradicated in many parts of the world, including Palestine, since 2022.
He emphasized that UNICEF, WHO, UNRWA, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health are urgently working to secure more vaccines to address the outbreak.
However, he stressed the need for immediate intervention, particularly after the emergence of type 2 polio in Gaza.
Despite efforts to coordinate vaccine deliveries at the highest levels, ongoing conflict and violence in the region are severely hindering these critical health interventions.
