United Nations - The Gaza Strip has completed the first round of the polio vaccination campaign. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and their partners have vaccinated more than 560,000 children under the age of 10.
Humanitarian agencies have thus succeeded in achieving their goal of vaccinating approximately 90 % children in the enclave. The next step is to provide a second dose of vaccine within a few weeks.
"We admire all the medical teams that carried out this complex operation," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"We are deeply grateful to the families for their trust and cooperation," he added.
The WHO director-general described the vaccination campaign as a "huge success" amid the "tragic daily reality" in the Gaza Strip.
The campaign was conducted in three phases, focusing on the central, southern and northern parts of the enclave.
Under the agreement with Israel, three humanitarian pauses of three days each were declared during the vaccination. During these breaks, combat operations were suspended in the areas concerned for eight to nine hours each day.
"Imagine what could have been achieved under the ceasefire," Gebreyesus said.
un.org / gnews.cz-roz_07
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