Middle East Crisis: Gaza Polio Vaccine Campaign Under Fire
Date: November 3, 2024 By: [Author’s Name]
Gaza City, Palestine – A polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip has come under fire after health workers were prevented from reaching thousands of children by armed militants.
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the campaign on Monday in an effort to vaccinate all children under the age of five against polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis. However, the campaign has been met with resistance from some militant groups in the territory, who have accused the WHO of using the vaccine to spy on Palestinians.
“We will not allow the Zionists to use our children as guinea pigs,” said a spokesperson for the Hamas, a militant group that controls Gaza. “This is a clear attempt to poison our children and weaken our resistance.”
The WHO has denied these accusations, insisting that the vaccine is safe and effective and that the campaign is essential to protect the health of Palestinian children.
“Polio is a serious disease that can have lifelong consequences,” said Dr. Gerald Rockenschaub, WHO’s representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. “It is important that all children are vaccinated to prevent an outbreak.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has also condemned the attacks on the vaccination campaign, calling them “a crime against our children.”
“We urge all parties to allow health workers to carry out their work and ensure that all children are vaccinated,” said Dr. Mai Al-Kaila, the Palestinian Minister of Health.
The polio vaccination campaign is part of a larger effort to improve the health of children in Gaza, which has been devastated by years of conflict. The territory has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, and many children suffer from malnutrition and other preventable diseases.
The WHO has appealed to all parties to allow the vaccination campaign to continue unimpeded.
“The health of Palestinian children should not be a political issue,” said Dr. Rockenschaub. “All children have the right to be protected from disease, regardless of their religion or political beliefs.”
Middle East crisis: Gaza polio vaccine campaign under fire
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