NNA – Following is the UN Secretary-General Antoacute;nio Guterresrsquo; press encounter on polio in Gaza: ldquo;Gaza is in a humanitarian freefall.nbsp;
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Just when it seems the situation could not get worse for Palestinians in Gaza, the suffering grows ndash; and the world watches.nbsp;
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In recent weeks, the poliovirus has been detected in wastewater samples in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.nbsp;
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That means the virus is now circulating, with hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza at risk.nbsp;
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Polio does not care about dividing lines ndash; and polio does not wait.nbsp;
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Preventing and containing the spread of polio will take a massive, coordinated and urgent effort.nbsp;
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The United Nations is poised to launch a vital polio vaccine campaign in Gaza for more than [640,000] children under the age of 10.
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The World Health Organization has approved the release of 1.6 million doses of the polio vaccine.nbsp;
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UNICEF is coordinating delivery of the vaccines and the cold chain equipment to store them.
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And UNRWA, the largest primary healthcare provider in Gaza, has medical teams ready to administer the vaccines and assist with logistics.nbsp;
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But the challenges are grave.nbsp;
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Health, water, and sanitation systems in Gaza have been decimated.nbsp;
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The majority of hospitals and primary care facilities are not functional.nbsp;
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People are constantly on the run for safety.nbsp;
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And routine immunizations have been severely disrupted by the conflict, increasing the spread of other preventable diseases like measles and hepatitis A.
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We know how an effective polio vaccination campaign must be administered.nbsp;
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Given the wholesale devastation in Gaza, at least 95 per cent vaccination coverage will be needed during each round of the two-round campaign to prevent poliorsquo;s spread and reduce its emergence.
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The vaccination effort will include 708 teams at hospitals and primary health care centres ndash; many of which are barely functioning — and by 316 community outreach teams throughout Gaza.nbsp;
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And we also know what a successful campaign will require:nbsp;
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The facilitation of transport for vaccines and cold chain equipment at every step.nbsp;
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The entry of polio experts into Gaza.
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Fuel for health teams to conduct their work.
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Reliable internet and phone services to inform communities about the campaign.
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An increase in the amount of cash allowed into Gaza to pay health workers.
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And, above all, a successful polio vaccination campaign needs safety.
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Safety for health workers to do their jobs.
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Safety for children and families to get to the health facilities.
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And safety for those health facilities to be protected from bombardment.nbsp;
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I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign.nbsp;
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Letrsquo;s be clear: nbsp;The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.nbsp;
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But in any case, a Polio Pause is a must.
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It is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging all over.
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Polio goes beyond politics.nbsp;
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It transcends all divisions.nbsp;
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And so it is our shared obligation to come together.nbsp;
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To mobilize ndash; not to fight people, but to fight polio.nbsp;
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And to defeat a vicious virus that, left unchecked, would have a disastrous effect not only for Palestinian children in Gaza, but also in neighbouring countries and the region.rdquo; mdash; UNIC
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