UN: Thousands of children in north Gaza unvaccinated as polio drive ends

The United Nations announced yesterday the conclusion of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip, saying it was unable to reach thousands of children in the north of the Strip, Anadolu reported.

A statement posted on the UN website said the polio vaccination campaign for children under the age of ten in northern Gaza was carried out in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNRWA and UNICEF.

According to the statement, the agencies successfully inoculated 94,000 children, yet thousands of children could not be reached due to the strict siege imposed by the Israeli occupation army.

On Saturday morning, the second phase of the emergency polio vaccination campaign was launched in Gaza City.

According to the UN, children in Gaza need two doses of the vaccine, each in the form of two drops administered orally.

On 5 October, the Israeli occupation army intensified its bombing campaign in northern Gaza, before invading the area the next day. Men and teenage aged boys were rounded up, stripped and taken away, while women and younger children were forced to walk south along highlight militarised routes.

UNICEF: Israel targeted car belonging to polio vaccination staff in Gaza