The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Nov 19 that it aims to vaccinate over 40,000 children in Gaza against multiple diseases, following progress made amid a temporary ceasefire.
The campaign, launched on Nov 9, has already immunised more than 10,000 children under the age of three within the first eight days of its initial phase.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said phase one has been extended until Nov 22 with the goal of protecting children from measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, rotavirus and pneumonia.
Phases two and three of the immunisation drive, conducted in collaboration with UNICEF, UNRWA and Gaza’s Health Ministry, are scheduled for December and January.
The UN Security Council endorsed a ceasefire initiative on Nov 17, following arrangements made by US President Donald Trump, which led to a truce from Oct 10 between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire has seen intermittent violations amid ongoing tensions after more than two years of conflict triggered by Hamas’s attack in Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
According to official figures, 1,221 people in Israel, mostly civilians, were killed in the Oct 7 attack. Subsequent Israeli military actions have resulted in more than 69,500 Palestinian deaths, over half of whom are reported to be women and minors, according to figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which are considered credible by the UN.
