UN calls for humanitarian ceasefire to carry out polio vaccination campaign

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, with the spread of the polio virus threatening hundreds of thousands of children. He pointed out that the United Nations is preparing to launch a vital vaccination campaign against polio in Gaza for the benefit of more than 640,000 children under the age of ten, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire so that the United Nations can implement the vaccination campaign. "Let's be clear, the most effective polio vaccination is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. But in any case, a humanitarian pause for the polio vaccination campaign is imperative," he added at a press conference. The Secretary-General stressed that the vaccination campaign is an issue that transcends all divisions, 'and it is our duty to unite our ranks, to mobilize our efforts not to fight people but to fight polio, to defeat a virulent virus that, if left unchecked, will have a catastrophic impact not only on Palestinian children in Gaza, but also in neighboring countries and the region.' The Secretary-General said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate at a frightening rate, "just when we thought the situation could not get any worse for the Palestinians in Gaza, their suffering increases, and the world watches." He pointed out that the discovery of polio virus in sewage samples in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, during the last weeks, means that the virus has now spread, and that hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza have become vulnerable to infection. Guterres warned that polio does not care about dividing lines and does not know how to wait, stressing the need for massive, coordinated and urgent efforts to prevent and contain the spread of polio. He explained that the World Health Organization will provide 1.6 million doses of polio vaccine. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will coordinate the delivery of the vaccine doses and cold chain equipment for their storage. The Secretary-Gener al also confirmed that UNRWA medical teams, as the largest provider of primary health care in Gaza, are ready to administer vaccines and assist with logistics. The challenges facing the campaign are enormous, he said. 'Gaza's health, water and sanitation systems have collapsed. Most hospitals and primary care facilities are unable to function. People are constantly on the run for their safety. Routine vaccination campaigns have been severely disrupted by the conflict, increasing the spread of other preventable diseases such as measles and hepatitis A.' Guterres said we know how an effective polio vaccination campaign should be run, noting that given the extensive devastation in Gaza, 'at least 95 per cent vaccination coverage will be needed over a two-round campaign to prevent the spread of poliovirus and reduce the likelihood of its emergence.' According to the Secretary-General, 708 teams in hospitals and primary health care centres, many of which are barely functioning, as well as 316 community outreach teams across Gaza will participate in the vaccination efforts. The Secretary-General said that requirements for the success of the campaign include facilitating the transportation of vaccine doses and cold chain equipment at every step, the entry of polio experts into Gaza, providing fuel for health teams to be able to do their work, providing effective internet and telephone communication services to inform the population about the campaign, and increasing the amount of cash allowed into Gaza to pay health workers. The Secretary-General stressed that, above all, the success of the polio vaccination campaign requires safety: 'safety for health workers to do their jobs, safety for children and families to reach health facilities, and safety for those health facilities to be protected from bombing.' Source: Maan News Agency