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UN: Mass polio vaccination to reach more than 591,000 children in Gaza; partners scale water distribution
Summary
WHO and UNICEF have scheduled a mass oral polio vaccination campaign in Gaza to start Saturday and run through Feb. 26 to reach more than 591,000 children; UN partners are also expanding water production and distribution, operating nearly 1,780 water points and mobile distribution teams.
The United Nations spokesperson said the World Health Organization and UNICEF will begin a mass oral polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip on Saturday that is scheduled to run through Feb. 26 and to administer the oral polio vaccine type 2 to “more than 591,000 children” to protect them from the disease.
The campaign aims to reach all children, including those who were missed in previous rounds, in order to close immunity gaps and end the outbreak, the spokesperson said. When asked why another round was needed after prior high coverage, the spokesperson said some children were born or were previously missed.
UN partners are also working to increase water production and distribution in Gaza to reduce public health risks. The briefing said there are now more than 1,780 operational water points across Gaza; over 85% of those are used to support water-trucking activities by partners. Humanitarian actors are training and deploying mobile teams and volunteers at distribution points to ensure vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, have access to assistance. The spokesperson said more than 100 mobile teams are operating at nearly 78 distribution points throughout Gaza.
The briefing also highlighted immediate shelter and reconstruction concerns. The spokesperson described efforts to provide tarpaulins, tents and mobile homes as short-term measures while discussions on reconstruction—led by Egypt and the Arab League—continue. The spokesperson said rubble and ongoing damage make longer-term recovery and a “decent life” difficult, and that the UN is focusing on immediate needs and on supporting discussions for reconstruction.
The UN said the polio campaign is led by UNICEF and WHO, and that other UN agencies are supporting the effort. Officials emphasized the need for safe access for vaccination teams and for continued partner coordination to reach children who were missed in earlier rounds.
