The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that it has secured “preliminary commitments for area-specific humanitarian pauses” to facilitate a polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip starting September 1.
Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stressed the importance of reaching 90% vaccination coverage to prevent further outbreaks. The campaign will be conducted in two rounds.
Speaking at a virtual news conference from Gaza, Peeperkorn highlighted the need for these pauses to ensure children and families can safely access health facilities and community outreach workers. The humanitarian pauses, agreed upon with the Israeli army’s humanitarian unit (COGAT), include three-day pauses in the central, southern, and northern zones of Gaza. The campaign will be extended by an additional day per zone, or longer if necessary.
Peeperkorn noted that 1.26 million vaccine doses and 500 vaccine carriers have already arrived in Gaza, with an additional 1,000 doses expected soon. The vaccination effort will be conducted in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and UNRWA, starting in the central zone of Gaza.
He acknowledged that while the eight-hour humanitarian pauses from 6 AM to 3 PM are not ideal, efforts will be made to maximize vaccination coverage during these times.
On August 16, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported the first confirmed case of polio in the region in 25 years. The affected 10-month-old baby had not received any polio vaccinations. Polio primarily affects children under five, with 1 in 200 cases leading to irreversible paralysis and 5-10% of those paralyzed dying from respiratory failure, according to the WHO.
Peeperkorn also expressed concern about the state of hospital functionality in Gaza, noting that 17 out of 36 hospitals are partially functional, and 58 out of 132 primary health care centers are also partially operational. He called for the restoration of traditional medical corridors to East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Egypt, and possibly Jordan.
The ongoing Israeli offensive, which began following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, has resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and children, and over 93,800 injuries, according to local health authorities.
