GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it has postponed the final phase of a child polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza due to “intense bombardment” and “escalating violence.”
While the necessary second round of vaccinations has been completed in central and southern Gaza, the campaign was set to begin in the north on Wednesday. However, the WHO stated it was “compelled to postpone” efforts to administer a second vaccine dose to 119,279 children in northern Gaza.
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This decision follows Israel’s significant air and ground assault in the region this month. The WHO indicated that the vaccination campaign was called off because of “escalating violence, intense bombardment, mass displacement orders, and a lack of assured humanitarian pauses across most of northern Gaza.”
The agency emphasized that ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure are endangering safety and mobility in northern Gaza, making it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination, as well as for health workers to operate effectively.
