The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has successfully vaccinated 189,000 children against polio in Gaza, surpassing its initial target in the first phase of the campaign. This initiative comes amidst nearly 11 months of ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has caused significant displacement and hardship for the population. The campaign was launched following Gaza’s first reported polio case in 25 years, involving a 10-month-old boy who is now paralyzed in one leg.
More than 500 teams were deployed across central Gaza, administering vaccines to children under the age of 10. Both Israel and Hamas observed limited pauses in the fighting to facilitate the campaign. The goal is to eventually reach 640,000 children, expanding the campaign to the more severely affected northern and southern regions.
The ongoing war, which began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, has claimed over 40,800 lives in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. While the polio vaccination drive has provided a temporary respite, there are growing calls for a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the restoration of essential humanitarian aid to the region. Despite the success of the polio campaign, diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire, release hostages held in Gaza and return many Palestinians jailed by Israel, have faltered.
