The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it will dispatch over one million polio vaccines to the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip, following the detection of the virus in local wastewater.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the necessity of unrestricted movement for healthcare personnel in Gaza to administer these vaccines, highlighting the critical need for a ceasefire or periods of tranquility to safeguard the region's children.
"WHO is dispatching more than one million polio vaccines that will be administered in the coming weeks," he stated during a press conference. On July 30, Gaza's health ministry declared the area a "polio epidemic zone," attributing the resurgence of the virus to Israel's military operations since Hamas' October 7 attack and the consequent damage to healthcare facilities.
The ministry identified the CPV2 strain of the virus in wastewater samples from the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza and other central regions. Israel's military response to Hamas' attack has reportedly resulted in at least 39,677 fatalities, according to Gaza's health ministry. Meanwhile, Hamas' October 7 assault led to the deaths of 1,198 individuals, as per an AFP count based on Israeli official data.
