In a distressing update from Gaza, health officials announced that Israeli airstrikes over the preceding 24 hours have resulted in the deaths of at least 48 Palestinians in the region. This escalation comes at a time when the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is conducting a crucial polio vaccination campaign aimed at reaching over 600,000 children under the age of ten.
The campaign was initiated following the confirmation of Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years. Organized into three-day phases, the effort spans from September 1 to September 12 and encompasses various regions of Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah has published maps showing the locations of each vaccination center to ensure effective reach.
The effort is bolstered by the delivery of 1.26 million doses of vaccines as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). These are crucial to stopping cVDPV2 transmission and are expected to transit through Ben Gurion Airport before reaching Gaza. Timely reception, clearance, and delivery of supplies are vital for the campaign’s success. The WHO has emphasized the need for humanitarian pauses to facilitate effective vaccination efforts.
Despite the conflict, the vaccination campaign has made notable progress. On the first day in central Gaza, UNRWA teams administered the vaccine to approximately 87,000 children against an initial target of 156,500 children under the age of ten. The campaign’s success depends heavily on area-specific humanitarian pauses, a preliminary commitment from the Israeli military as acknowledged by Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in Gaza. He called for all parties to allow pauses in fighting so that children and families can safely access health facilities.
Safeguarding civilians, particularly children, remains a core obligation under International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The International Committee of the Red Cross’s Rule 55 mandates that parties to the conflict must allow and facilitate the unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to civilians. Further, the Fourth Geneva Convention imposes an obligation on an occupying power to ensure the provision of food and medical supplies to the population in occupied territories.
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