The United Nations calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for urgent polio vaccination of children
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urgently called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza to pave the way for health workers to vaccinate children against polio before the outbreak. In a statement to The New York Times on August 17, Guterres emphasized the need for a temporary, week-long ceasefire to facilitate vaccination efforts in the region, where thousands of children must facing the risk of polio.
“Preventing and controlling the spread of polio requires a significant, coordinated and immediate effort,” Guterres stated. “We cannot conduct a vaccination campaign amid ongoing conflict.”
Gaza, which has about 2.2 million residents, has nearly 640,000 children under 10 years old, including 340,000 under 5 years old. Polio, a highly infectious disease that affects the nervous system, can cause permanent paralysis or death, especially in children.
Guterres emphasized that the United Nations is ready to deploy vaccines to more than 640,000 children in Gaza as soon as a ceasefire is established. The World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency, has approved the distribution of 1.6 million doses of polio vaccine to health care teams in the region. Gaza’s Ministry of Health is collaborating with WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to prepare the vaccination campaign. Guterres also warned that the polio epidemic in Gaza, if not controlled, could spread to neighboring countries.
A United Nations report noted that Gaza had been polio-free for 25 years until August 2024. The virus was detected in wastewater in July 2024, suggesting that water supplies were Serious pollution due to the effects of ongoing conflicts.
Israel and Hamas have yet to comment on the UN call for a ceasefire. On August 15 and 16, Israel, along with American, Egyptian and Qatari diplomats, held talks in Doha regarding the Gaza situation. Hamas was not directly involved but was informed about the proceedings. Further talks are expected to take place next week aimed at finding a ceasefire before the situation potentially worsens, especially if Iran retaliates against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
