Gaza Resumes Polio Vaccinations After Attack on Clinic, WHO Reports
A polio vaccination drive in northern Gaza is set to restart Sunday after the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that six people, including four children, were injured during a strike on the Sheikh Radwan clinic. WHO has not attributed the attack, though Gaza’s civil defense agency stated that an Israeli-operated quadcopter was responsible. Israeli authorities say they are investigating but have yet to claim responsibility.
The clinic, vital to the vaccine rollout, is managed in part by UNICEF, which condemned the incident as another example of civilian-targeted violence in Gaza. The polio campaign resumed its second phase on Saturday, having been delayed since October due to widespread bombings, mass displacement, and limited access to affected areas.
August marked Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years when a young boy contracted the virus, leaving him paralyzed. This alarming development prompted health organizations to prioritize the region’s polio vaccination efforts. Now, as 15 UN agencies and humanitarian groups label the conditions in northern Gaza “apocalyptic,” a temporary humanitarian pause has been arranged to allow vaccinations in Gaza City, lasting for three days, according to WHO.
In a separate incident, a UNICEF staff member’s vehicle was reportedly targeted by a quadcopter in Jabalia. Although the driver was unharmed, UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell, called for Israel to conduct an investigation, noting that the staff member was deeply shaken.
Challenges persist as the vaccination campaign faces severe restrictions. About 15,000 children under ten in key areas, including Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun, are currently unreachable, hindering the campaign’s efficacy. WHO aimed to administer a second dose of the oral vaccine to 119,000 children but now considers this goal unattainable due to access constraints.
Despite obstacles, the campaign’s initial phases successfully vaccinated 559,000 children under ten across south, central, and northern Gaza, thanks to temporary humanitarian pauses in September. However, the latest pause is restricted solely to Gaza City, limiting the campaign’s reach.
Health experts emphasize that timely vaccine doses are critical to curbing the disease’s spread, with at least 90% of children needing two doses to effectively halt transmission.
Amid rising casualties and mass evacuations, the UN’s human rights chief described the north Gaza crisis as the region’s “darkest moment.” The WHO estimates that 100,000 people remain in extremely precarious conditions with severe shortages of essential supplies.
The US has urged Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning of potential reductions in military assistance if conditions do not improve. Since the beginning of Israel’s campaign against Hamas following the group’s October 7 attack in southern Israel, the Gaza health ministry reports over 43,300 casualties in the region. International journalists have limited access to Gaza, complicating independent verification of on-ground reports.
