UNICEF has confirmed that the third phase of the polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza will start between September 9 and 11, with a repeat of the process weeks later to carry out the second round of the extensive vaccination campaign to protect over 640,000 children under the age of ten in Gaza.
According to the United Nations Media Center, UNICEF vaccinated about 160,000 children in southern Gaza on the first day of the campaign in the south, and the World Health Organization reported that approximately 355,000 children have been immunized in central and southern Gaza since September 1st. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs mentioned that over 500 vaccination teams are now deployed in southern Gaza, including 380 mobile teams, to ensure that all children are vaccinated.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that four major medical facilities in central Gaza would continue to administer the vaccine in the coming days. He noted that the medical evacuation of patients and the injured out of the Gaza Strip remains significantly halted since the Rafah crossing was closed four months ago, and about 12,000 patients are waiting to leave Gaza to receive desperately needed medical care.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned of a worsening health crisis in Gaza due to limited access to clean water and sanitation services, along with a shortage of affordable hygiene supplies. Dujarric also pointed out that the price of soap in Gaza in July increased by about 1200% compared to last year, while the price of shampoo increased by 500%.
UN partners are working to ensure the delivery of hundreds of thousands of hygiene supplies to those in need, but these efforts face obstacles such as active conflict, access restrictions, lack of public order and safety, and eviction orders issued by Israeli authorities.
