Israel Delivers 1.26 Million Polio Vaccines to Gaza Amid Outbreak and Aid Reduction

Aug 26, 2024, 07:40 AM

Israel has delivered 1.26 million polio vaccines to Gaza amid a polio outbreak and deteriorating sanitary conditions. The outbreak has been exacerbated by a significant reduction in humanitarian aid, with reports indicating that aid entering Gaza has dropped by over 50 percent since April. Additionally, about a third of humanitarian aid missions have been denied access to Gaza by Israeli authorities since August 1, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). A 10-month-old Palestinian has contracted polio, highlighting the severity of the health crisis. The spread of diseases in Gaza is further compounded by the contamination of camps and coastal areas due to damaged sewage systems. A video released by the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) shows UNICEF trucks carrying the vaccines at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel.