The UN chief on Friday highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called for a critical “polio pause” to facilitate a major vaccination campaign.
Describing Gaza as a “humanitarian free fall”, Antonio Guterres told reporters at a news conference: “Just when it seems the situation could not get any worse for the Palestinians in Gaza, suffering is mounting and the world is watching.”
Noting that detections of the polio virus in sewage samples from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah have heightened fears, with “hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza at risk”, Guterres said: “Polio does not care about dividing lines – and polio cares don’t wait”.
Calling for “a massive, coordinated and urgent effort” to fight the epidemic, Guterres announced that the UN plans to launch a vital polio vaccine campaign targeting more than 640,000 children under the age of 10.
He said the World Health Organization (WHO) had authorized the release of 1.6 million doses and that UNICEF was coordinating the delivery of vaccines and cold chain equipment, while UNRWA had medical teams ready to administer the vaccines.
Describing the challenges, Guterres said: “The health, water and sanitation systems in Gaza have been decimated. The majority of hospitals and primary care facilities are not functional. People are constantly fleeing for safety.”
As the campaign will involve 708 health center teams and 316 community outreach teams, the UN secretary-general noted the need for “transportation facilitation for vaccines and cold chain equipment”, entry of polio specialists, fuel for health teams, reliable communication services , and increased cash flow for healthcare workers.
He emphasized the need for safety, stating that “a successful polio vaccination campaign needs safety” for health workers, children and health facilities.
Guterres appealed to all parties to provide “concrete assurances guaranteeing immediate humanitarian pauses to the campaign”, arguing that “the ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.
“But in any case, a pause against polio is necessary. It is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging everywhere. but to fight polio” and prevent a wider disaster in the region.
Late last month, the WHO expressed “extreme” concern over a possible massive polio outbreak in Gaza after the polio virus was found in sewage.
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