UN Reports Over 187,000 Gaza Children Vaccinated Against Polio

On Wednesday, United Nations officials expressed cautious optimism due to the limited pauses in hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which have allowed for children’s polio vaccinations in Gaza, amidst the ongoing conflict that has persisted for nearly a year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that around 187,000 children in Gaza have received a polio vaccination, with the campaign aiming to eventually inoculate 640,000 children. This vaccination initiative was initiated this week following the region’s first documented case of polio in 25 years, which involved a ten-month-old boy who has since suffered paralysis in one leg.

The boy’s mother, Neveen Abu El Jidyan, shared her heart-wrenching experience in an interview, explaining the near impossibility of obtaining help for her son, Abdul Rahman, since he contracted polio. “We haven’t given him any treatments. We live in a tent and there is no medication,” she explained, recounting the difficulties faced after the war began.

“Abdul Rahman was supposed to receive his vaccination on the first day of the war, but our home was targeted, leaving his medical booklet behind,” she said. “As we moved from one location to another, I was unable to get him vaccinated.”

Israeli authorities have stated that the vaccination campaign will continue through Monday, operating for eight hours each day to facilitate the immunization process.

During a meeting requested by Israel—which benefitted from the support of its allies, including permanent council members France, Great Britain, and the United States—top U.N. officials discussed these developments. Israel’s ambassador emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of hostages taken during Hamas’ attacks on October 7 and the tragic fate of six captives who were killed.

In response, Algeria requested a broader U.N. discussion regarding the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories. Rosemary DiCarlo, U.N. undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, and Edem Wosornu from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, described the pauses in fighting that enabled the polio vaccinations as rare but hopeful developments.

“It does not have to be this way. Signs from the past few days indicate that achieving humanitarian goals can yield positive outcomes,” Wosornu said at the council meeting.

French Ambassador to the U.N., Nicolas de Rivière, echoed this sentiment, stating that the vaccination initiative illustrates the possibility of humanitarian actors safely operating within Gaza. “That must become the standard,” he emphasized.

Health experts have raised alarms over the spread of diseases in Gaza, where the ongoing conflict has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation. Many residents are crowded into makeshift tent camps, navigating through streets contaminated with sewage.

Ambassador Samuel Zbogar of Slovenia, which holds the presidency of the Security Council for this month, noted an increasing apprehension among council members regarding the persistent lack of a cease-fire agreement and hostage release, both contributing to ongoing violence.

In June, the Security Council approved a resolution endorsing a cease-fire plan aimed at resolving the conflict, with Russia choosing to abstain from the vote. “Things need to progress, one way or another,” Zbogar stressed, highlighting the urgency of delivering on the cease-fire deal or finding alternative solutions.

The initial Hamas attacks on October 7 resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities, primarily among civilians, alongside around 250 hostages being taken. The subsequent Israeli military response has reportedly resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, as indicated by figures released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its reporting.

As the situation in Gaza continues to unfold, the need for humanitarian interventions and the restoration of health services remains critical in the face of ongoing conflict and instability.

Source: CBS News