Gaza: Polio campaign reaches target, additional medical corridors needed, says WHO

The second mass polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has reached almost 548,000 children under the age of 10, according to the UN health agency (WHO). That represents 92 per cent of the 591,000 due to be vaccinated, said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, Representative of the World Health Organization in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) to journalists in Geneva via videolink from Gaza.

The first round of this campaign, which started on 22 February and will end tomorrow, was planned after environmental samples collected in December and January in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis confirmed that the poliovirus was still circulating. A first campaign was conducted in September and October 2024 in extremely challenging conditions during humanitarian pauses. Despite reaching 95 per cent of children, approximately 7,000 missed the second round in 2024, leaving pockets of youngsters with insufficient immunity. The current fragile ceasefire has allowed health workers to have better access to the population and assess medical needs. 

With the total or partial destruction of healthcare infrastructure in the Gaza Strip since war erupted on 7 October 2023, the sector has sustained losses totaling an estimated $6.3 billion, significantly impacting its functionality and the life of thousands of people. The WHO estimates that “between 10 and 14,000 severely critical patients need to be evacuated, among them 4,000 children”. Since 1 February, 889 patients, including 335 children, have been evacuated via the Rafah crossing. This is more than the 459 medevacs in seven months through Karam Abu Salem crossing following the Rafah border closure on 6 May 2024. But still short compared to the pre-war levels when 50 to 100 patients daily were being referred from Gaza to East Jerusalem and the West Bank for medical treatment. “It's absolutely needed that we expand the medical corridors including the corridor to East Jerusalem hospitals and the West Bank”, insisted Dr Peeperkorn.

The WHO is also deeply concerned about ongoing Israeli operations on Palestinian camps in the West Bank and their consequences on healthcare. Dr Peeperkorn said that 44 attacks this year affected the provision of healthcare in the West Bank, with four healthcare facilities impacted. From 7 October 2023, when the Hamas-led attack killed some 1,200 Israelis, to 14 February this year, 25 healthcare workers and patients have been killed and 121 injured in the West Bank, according to the UN health agency.

“There's almost 40,000 people displaced” due to Israel raids on the West Bank. “The severe movement restrictions” across the area, “is affecting all services, but very much including health,” explained Dr Peeperkorn, citing obstacles to the movement of ambulances and access to healthcare workers.

“What we try to do is support the pre-positioning of supplies as much as possible at key hospitals in the West Bank. Then also, there is always [an] ongoing trauma care programme, which is also currently ongoing, training from community level all the way to third-level hospitals”, he added. Third-level hospitals have highly specialized staff and technical equipment, for areas such as cardiology, intensive care unit, and specialized imaging units.

In an effort to transform the ceasefire in Gaza into a solid peace process, Egypt announced that it will host an emergency Arab summit on 27 February to discuss developments for Palestinians.

The WHO operational response plan for Gaza for 2025 has a budget of almost $640 million.

The total needs for the vast recovery and reconstruction needs for the health sector in Gaza are estimated to reach more than US$7 billion for the next decade. The US aid freeze will have consequences on different programmes of the WHO said spokesperson Tarik Jašarević. Funding will require a broad coalition of donors, diverse financing instruments, private sector resources. “What we need to do is really try to diversify funding, try to mobilize more resources through the platforms that have been created in past years,” he explained, pointing to investment rounds, the WHO Foundation and the fact that Member States agreed to increase their assessed contribution by 20 per cent at the latest executive board.

The WHO will also introduce cost saving measures on logistics, operations, travel and staffing and will engage with the US in constructive dialogue, Mr. Jašarević added.

Ends

Story: “OPT health update – WHO” – Tuesday 25 February 2025

Speakers:

• Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in OPT (speaking from Gaza)
• Tarik Jašarević, WHO spokesperson

TRT: 02’39”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 25 February 2025 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Geneva Press briefing

SHOTLIST

1. Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley.
2. Wide shot of the podium with speakers at the press conference room.
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT): “The total number of children under the age of 10, the target was 591,000. After three days of the campaign, almost 548,000 children have been vaccinated. This represents a coverage over 92 per cent.”
4. Medium shot of the press conference room showing screen and journalists.
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT): “We need to expand the medical corridors. Because we estimate that between 10 and 14,000 patients, severe critical patients, are in need for medevac, of which roughly an estimated of more than 4,000 children. So, it's absolutely needed that we expand the medical corridors, including the corridors to East Jerusalem hospitals and the West Bank.”
6. Wide shot: journalists at the press conference room.
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in OPT: “There's almost 40,000 people displaced. I mean, the severe movement restrictions that is, of course, affecting all services, but very much including health.”
8. Medium shot: journalists at the press conference room.
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in OPT: “As WHO, what we try to do is support pre-positioning supplies as much as possible at, let's say, key hospitals in the West Bank. Then also, there is always ongoing trauma care programme, which is also currently ongoing: training from community level all the way to third-level hospitals.”
10. Cutaway journalists in the press conference room.
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tarik Jašarević, WHO spokesperson: “Any cut in funding will have consequences on different programmes of WHO. What we need to do from our side is really try to diversify funding, try to mobilize more resources through the platforms that have been created in past years during this transformation process, such as investments’ round, WHO Foundation and Member States, you will remember, have agreed to increase assessed contribution by 20 per cent at the latest Executive Board.”
12. Close shot of journalists taking notes.
13. Various shots of the press conference room.