Gaza Strip: Temporarily halts fighting to vaccinate children against polio

It was agreed that the vaccination campaign will start on Sunday, September 1, with a three-day campaign in the central part of the Gaza Strip, the representative said. WHO to the Palestinian territories Rik Peeperkorn. He added that the next three-day breaks in the fighting will then cover the southern part of Gaza, and later the northern part. Every day, the fighting is to be stopped for 9 hours, between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., Peeperkorn said.

As he noted, this is not a “perfect solution,” but it is currently “the only feasible plan.” The WHO representative added that it may be necessary to extend the suspension of fighting for more days to vaccinate all children.

In mid-August, WHO and UNICEF appealed to all parties to the conflict to stop fighting and vaccinate. Earlier, the first case of polio in 25 years was diagnosed in the Gaza Strip. The infection was detected in a 10-month-old child, who is partially paralyzed but remains stable. It is suspected that other infections have already occurred, and the polio virus has also been detected in sewage in the Gaza Strip. There were alarms that an outbreak of this disease would have catastrophic consequences not only for Gaza but for the entire region.

Authorities Israel have previously signaled that they are ready for a temporary halt in the fighting, but not a full ceasefire. According to media reports, Hamas also supported the temporary humanitarian ceasefire, and the USA.

The pause in fighting for vaccinations should not be confused with the ceasefire that has been negotiated for months, which also includes an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Despite pressure from the US to adopt the agreement as soon as possible, brokered negotiations between Israel and Hamas are at an impasse.

Gaza Strip It has been devastated by a war that has been going on for over 10 months. There is a large-scale humanitarian crisis there, and most of the inhabitants have become internal refugees. The medical infrastructure is destroyed, as are the water and sewage systems, which favors the development of infectious diseases.

Polio, also known as polio, is caused by a virus transmitted through the fecal-oral route and can lead to paralysis, disability, or death. Thanks to vaccinations, the disease has been eradicated from most of the world.