UAE’s Support Accelerates Polio Vaccination Efforts for Gaza’s Children
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has significantly bolstered the vaccination campaign for children in Gaza, with over 187,000 children receiving polio vaccines since the initiative’s launch, Emirates News Agency WAM reported. This effort, conducted in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), responds to an emergency situation following the detection of the first type 2 polio case in Gaza in 25 years.
In response to the crisis, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan allocated USD 5 million to support the emergency vaccination campaign. This initiative is part of the UAE’s broader efforts to aid Palestinian communities facing dire conditions.
The campaign aims to vaccinate 640,000 children amid severe challenges, including forced displacement, overcrowding, and extensive damage to healthcare and sanitation infrastructure in Gaza. To date, 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have been delivered to Gaza, with distribution carried out in phases during humanitarian ceasefire periods, each lasting three days.
An additional 400,000 vaccine doses are expected to arrive in Gaza shortly. The World Health Organisation reported on Tuesday that the campaign is exceeding expectations. Health teams have administered the oral vaccine to 161,030 children within the first two days of the nearly 10-day operation, surpassing the initial goal of 150,000 for the first phase in central Gaza.
Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the Palestinian territories, described the campaign as “going well,” noting an “almost festive” atmosphere as families bring their children to vaccination sites. The ongoing support and swift actions by UAE and international partners are crucial in combating the polio outbreak and safeguarding the health of Gaza’s children.
