Manhattan,(EPICSTORIAN) -The United Nations has issued an urgent plea for a Gaza ceasefire, warning of a public health crisis as polio threatens to in the war-torn enclave.
Delays in a critical vaccination campaign, which aims to prevent Polio disease from paralyzing more children, are putting tens of thousands at risk, according to senior UN officials.
Urgency for Vaccination Campaign against Polio Spread
“It is imperative to stop the polio outbreak in Gaza before more children are paralysed and the virus spreads,” said Louise Wateridge, spokesperson for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
She emphasized that immediate humanitarian pauses are necessary to allow the vaccination campaign to resume in northern Gaza, where conditions are deteriorating due to intense military operations.
Delays in Vaccination Efforts
The polio vaccination drive, which began last month, aims to inoculate 120,000 children in the north of Gaza.
However, the third and final phase of the campaign has been delayed due to escalating violence, heavy bombardment, and mass displacement orders.
Wateridge explained that ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure have made it impossible for families to access health services and for healthcare workers to operate safely.
Need for Humanitarian Pauses
“The vaccination campaign must be facilitated in the north through the implementation of humanitarian pauses,” Wateridge urged, stressing the need for at least 90 percent of children in every neighborhood to receive a second dose of the vaccine to effectively interrupt transmission of the virus.
According to his findings, while the first two rounds of the campaign had some success in central and southern Gaza, vaccinating 442,855 children under the age of 10—94 percent of the target population—the situation in the north remains a great concern.
Intensifying Crisis in Northern Gaza
“The nightmare in northern Gaza is intensifying,” Wateridge said.
“For nearly three weeks, we have repeatedly warned that the ongoing military operations are putting tens of thousands of civilians in grave danger.”
More than 400,000 people, according to the agency’s officials, remain trapped in northern Gaza, where Israeli military operations have intensified as they target Hamas militants, who they claim are regrouping in the area.
Desperate Humanitarian Situation
He said humanitarian situation in northern Gaza has become increasingly desperate.
Civilians are experiencing widespread devastation, with high levels of death, injury, and destruction.
Wateridge described the harrowing conditions, where families are trapped under rubble, lacking food, shelter, and access to critical healthcare.
“Civilians are trapped under rubble, the sick and wounded are going without lifesaving healthcare, families lack food, their homes have been destroyed, they have no shelter and nowhere is safe,” she added.
Frustration Among Displaced Families
The sense of frustration and despair among displaced families is palpable, according to Wateridge.
Many describe their experience as watching “a live broadcast of their death and suffering.”
She shared that UNRWA is receiving desperate pleas from staff and civilians trapped in northern Gaza, appealing for assistance as they endure unimaginable hardship.
UNRWA’s Challenges and Losses
Since the conflict began, UNRWA has faced significant losses. At least 232 UNRWA staff members have been killed, and more than 200 of the agency’s premises have been damaged or destroyed.
The situation is further complicated by political developments in Israel, where proposed legislation seeks to terminate UNRWA’s operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Calls for Multilateral Support
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, speaking at a conference in Paris on the escalating crisis, expressed concern over the mounting attacks on UN agencies operating in conflict zones.
“The failure to push back effectively against attempts to intimidate and undermine the United Nations has set a dangerous precedent,” Lazzarini warned.
He noted that these assaults are not just on UNRWA but on the broader multilateral system that underpins international cooperation and humanitarian efforts.
Need for Renewed Commitment
Lazzarini called for renewed global commitment to the principles of multilateralism and the shared values enshrined in the UN Charter.
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“A renewed commitment to multilateralism and our shared values, enshrined in the UN Charter, must guide our response in Lebanon and across the region,” he stated, urging the international community to take decisive action to protect both the vulnerable populations in Gaza and the UN’s ability to provide humanitarian aid in conflict zones.
Urgent Call for Ceasefire
As the violence continues, the need for an immediate ceasefire grows ever more urgent, with both the health and safety of Gaza’s civilian population hanging in the balance, especially that of the innocent children.
