The final plan was to vaccinate 119,000 children under the age of 10, but in some areas it is difficult to reach violence-affected populations and there are restrictions on movement.
Dr. Richard Peppercorn, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said their goal was to get the second and final dose to every child in the northern Gaza Strip.
Israeli military actions and bombings, blockades, evacuation orders delayed vaccination and created many obstacles.
Nevertheless, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said in its message on social media on Monday that despite the attack, more than 94 thousand children have been vaccinated. This means that about 79 percent of children are fully vaccinated against polio.
“A humanitarian pause (in the war) is essential to move this important campaign forward, but without a lasting ceasefire, children will continue to suffer and die.”
Top UN officials expressed concern at reports of violence at some centers during vaccination campaigns, where parents and aid workers attended with their children.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, expressed outrage at the attack on a health center this weekend.
Demand an investigation
The head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, said in her statement issued last Saturday that attacks on civilians and infrastructure, including humanitarian aid workers, must stop immediately.
“The entire Palestinian population in northern Gaza, especially children, is at risk of death there due to disease, famine and ongoing bombardment.”
The UNICEF chief called on Israel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack on an employee of his agency and hold those responsible accountable.
The attack took place when fighting was agreed to for humanitarian reasons from 6 am to 4 pm as part of the vaccination campaign.
Polio was eradicated in Gaza 25 years ago, but there have been several health crises during the Gaza war, and the polio virus was found in a 10-month-old baby this year. This was followed by a rapid vaccine campaign in Israeli-occupied Gaza.
More than a year has passed since Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip on 7 October 2023 following terrorist attacks by Hamas and other extremist groups in southern Israel.
According to the local health ministry, more than 43,000 Palestinians have died so far and the entire area has suffered severe damage.
79 percent vaccination
Prior to the vaccination campaign in North Gaza, both phases of vaccination in Central and South Gaza had already been successfully completed, where more than 4.5 million children had been vaccinated. This is 96 percent of the total target in these areas.
At least 90 percent of children in every community and area need to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the polio virus.
A second dose is usually given within six weeks, but a delay can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine and reduce immunity.
The UN health agency has warned that halting the spread of polio could be challenging due to large numbers of children missing the second round of vaccination, and similar cases in the Gaza Strip and other countries.