With Gaza hoping for a ceasefire deal, it is fighting battle on another front: Polio. Aid groups have sought to pause the war to give them ample time to administer vaccinations as the virus was found in wastewater in at least six locations in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah last month, according to a report.
Gaza, which successfully eradicated Polio a quarter-century ago, has become a breeding ground for the virus as the war is two months away from completing a year, reported AP With infrastructure seeing widespread destruction, displaced people in the territory do not have access to clean water or propel sewage and garbage disposal.
The UN is planning to supply 1.6 million vaccine doses and over 6.4 lakh children aged under 10 are expected to get vaccinated over two rounds by September, according to the news agency. These include around 50,000 infants born since the war began.
However, aid groups need an urgent ceasefire to carry out the vaccinations. The World Health Organisation and UNICEF, in a joint statement on Friday, said the war should be paused for at least seven days to carry out a mass vaccination plan.
COGAT, an Israeli military body overseeing Palestinian civilian affairs, said it will support a comprehensive vaccination campaign while the Hamas expressed its support for a seven-day truce to facilitate the vaccinations.
Another challenge is to keep the vaccine refrigerated as power supplies have been disrupted during the war, reported AP.