Estimates indicate that one in five children under three years of age do not receive any doses or have not been vaccinated due to the war, putting them at risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The recovery campaign aims to vaccinate these children against measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, rotavirus and pneumonia.
It will be carried out by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, in collaboration with the Gaza Ministry of Health.
'A moral imperative'
To help address the devastating impacts of conflict on children's health and nutrition, UNICEF and its partners will also screen children for malnutrition and ensure that those suffering from this condition receive treatment and ongoing monitoring.
“After two years of relentless violence that claimed the lives of more than 20,000 children in the Gaza Strip, we finally have the opportunity to protect those who survived,” said Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF Special Representative in the State of Palestine.
“Vaccinating all children and supporting their health and nutrition is not just a humanitarian intervention; it is a moral imperative. This is how we safeguard the future of children born in a disaster and begin to rebuild hope in the midst of devastation.”
Hundreds of trained workers
The campaign will be implemented in three rounds, starting from November 9 to 18.
More than 450 healthcare workers and support staff have been trained to support vaccination efforts.
Additionally, 149 doctors have been trained to recognize, report and investigate any post-vaccination health problems, although these cases are extremely rare.
“Much more is needed”
“This immunization campaign is a lifeline that protects children's health and restores hope for the future,” said Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
However, he stressed that “much more is needed and WHO is working to rebuild Gaza's fragile health system so that every child, every community, can access the care they deserve.”
Before the conflict, Gaza maintained 54 immunization facilities. It was also among the world leaders in childhood vaccination coverage, with a rate of 98 percent.
Today, 31 immunization centers are no longer operational, having been damaged or destroyed in indiscriminate attacks, while routine vaccination coverage is now below 70 percent.
The final two phases of the campaign, which aim to provide children with their second and third doses of the vaccine, are planned for December and January.
In 2024, the UN and its partners launched a massive campaign across the Gaza Strip to vaccinate children against polio.
Gazans receive UN blankets as winter approaches in the enclave.
The expansion of humanitarian aid continues
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid continues to reach more people every day in Gaza, despite access restrictions, bureaucratic hurdles and other impediments, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Wednesday in New York.
The UN and its partners have supported an increase in the number of daily meals served in 183 community kitchens across the Strip, which surpassed 1.2 million meals on Monday.
This represents an increase of more than 80 percent compared to September.
Humanitarian actors are also providing families with food parcels and other forms of food assistance. They are also working to improve access to water supply, with more than 40 partner organizations operating nearly 1,900 water points.
In recent days, some 4,400 hygiene kits, 2,900 buckets, 3,700 jerrycans and hundreds of waterproof tarps and tents have been distributed to people in need. Displaced families were also helped with cash vouchers to buy clothes before winter.
Help on the move
The UN and its partners also continue to move cargo into Gaza and collect more supplies at border crossings.
“On Monday we were able to unload more than 180 trucks with critical supplies at the crossings, including more than 1,500 metric tons of food,” Mr. Haq said.
“And yesterday, our teams picked up around 120 trucks inside Gaza, transporting more than 580 pallets of blankets, tents, winter clothing, hygiene items and more.”
The teams also collected more than 150,000 liters of fuel and more than 90 tons of animal fodder.
Haq noted that while the expansion of humanitarian aid is underway, much more is needed.
“The UN and our partners are actively engaging with relevant authorities and all those with influence to ensure that obstacles and restrictions are lifted so that we truly can leave no one behind,” he said.
