UNICEF Calls Humanitarian Pause In Gaza To Complete Polio Vaccination Approved

Vaccination for polio in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. (Twitter/@DrTedros)

JAKARTA - The humanitarian break in the war in the Gaza Strip has been approved to allow a second round of polio vaccinations targeting 590,000 children under the age of 10 to begin on October 14, UNICEF Chief said Thursday.

"The region's special humanitarian body has been approved. It is imperative that this pause be respected by all parties. Without this pause, it is impossible to vaccinate children," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.

Previously, the first round of the polio vaccination campaign, which began on September 1, managed to achieve the target of 90 percent of children under the age of 10, the United Nations said.

The first round was carried out in stages in two weeks during a humanitarian break in fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas.

It is known, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in August that a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, the first case in the region in 25 years.

"UNICEF will include Vitamin A supplements to strengthen children's immune systems. Children in Gaza live in very poor hygiene and sanitation conditions," Russell explained.

"With the additional vaccine equipment and a cooler that arrived yesterday, UNICEF is ready to send and vaccinate children to stop polio transmission," he said. "The success of the first round shows that when the deal is obeyed, we can finish the job," said Russell.