The United Nations temporarily halts aid shipments to Gaza following Israeli military's demand for an evacuation, amidst an intensified campaign for polio vaccine distribution.
The Israeli military initiated additional displacements in certain areas of Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, on Sunday, pushing numerous displaced Palestinians to once more relocate as the UN readies to administer vaccines to over 640,000 children, due to concerns regarding the disease spread in the confined region.
Not too long ago, health officials confirmed Gaza's initial polio case in 25 years, afflicting an unvaccinated 10-month-old infant. This alarming development occurred just weeks after sewage tests conducted in Gaza during late June turned up positive for the virus, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue a warning that an infection outbreak affecting thousands of children was imminent.
Polio is a highly contagious ailment that primarily targets children under the age of 5 and targets the nervous system, potentially causing paralysis and even death in extreme situations.
On Monday, COGAT, the Israeli entity responsible for granting access to aid within Gaza, announced that more than 1.2 million vaccine doses had been delivered to the enclave via the Kerem Shalon crossing. They stated that the vaccination campaign, led by WHO and the UN children's agency, would be carried out in conjunction with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
However, according to a senior UN official, delivery suspensions would be momentarily enforced under the current situation. CNN reached out to COGAT in regards to the allegations.
Vaccination Program
The recent resurrection of polio, which has largely been eradicated in more developed nations, serves as evidence of the challenges faced by Gaza's 2 million inhabitants, who have experienced Israeli bombardment since the previous October. Many residents are plagued by scarcities of food, medical supplies, and clean water, with up to 90% of the population lacking stable housing.
In separate statements on Tuesday, UNRWA, the UN's primary relief agency in Gaza, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the occupied West Bank, announced their readiness to initiate the vaccination campaign.
"UNRWA continues to supply humanitarian help whenever possible in Gaza," Juliette Touma, UNRWA director of communications, told CNN, stating that the humanitarian operation had become one of the most challenging worldwide for the UN.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that the vaccination campaign would start soon and initiatives are underway to distribute an additional 400,000 doses to immunize 95% of children under the age of 10.
"Intense and continuous efforts are being undertaken around the clock with international health partners to aid health care employees in executing the vaccination campaign," the ministry's statement read, mentioning that Israeli military operations pose a significant risk to staff mobility.
The official acknowledged that UN operations are not abandoning Gaza "because the people require our presence," but the UN will need to relocate its operations following the most recent evacuation orders.
Previously, the UN's primary operations had been shifted to Deir al-Balah after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for Rafah, southern Gaza, in May, as the senior official stated.
"Where do we move now?" the official questioned.
Amidst these challenges, international health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have expressed concern about the potential spread of polio in the Middle East, given its proximity to Gaza.
In an effort to prevent a polio outbreak in the world at large, the United Nations is intensifying its vaccination program in the conflict-affected areas of the Middle East, starting with Gaza.
