EU statement on the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza

SWEDEN, August 30 - The EU urges immediate humanitarian pauses to enable the vaccination of all children in Gaza against the poliovirus. The Gaza Strip has been polio-free for the last 25 years. It is alarming that poliovirus was detected and that the first case was confirmed there again in July affecting children. An epidemic among a population already weakened by over 10 months of fighting and displacement, malnourishment, lack of basic health services, and deplorable sanitary conditions, as well as further spread internationally, must be avoided.

The EU joins the call by the United Nations Secretary General and the World Health Organisation for immediate humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow for the polio vaccination campaign to take place. Two rounds of the campaign are expected to be rolled out in the Strip in the coming weeks in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, providing two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 to more than 640 000 children under ten years of age. The EU welcomes the delivery of more than 1.2 million oral polio vaccines as well as the cooperation by Israel in delivering the vaccines to Gaza, and underlines the importance of further cooperation by all sides with WHO, UNRWA and UNICEF to conduct the vaccination rollout. Commitment to the humanitarian pauses by all parties will be crucial to allow the successful and timely implementation of these urgent campaigns. Protecting healthcare facilities and their workers and ensuring safe access for children and families to vaccination sites will be essential to this end.

The EU has consistently reiterated its concern about the catastrophic situation in Gaza and supported the ongoing negotiations for a deal on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. The EU and its member states are jointly the biggest humanitarian donor in Gaza. The EU remains fully committed to providing humanitarian aid and support to Palestinians affected by the war in Gaza, including through the continuation of the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge operations, increased funding to support health facilities and assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as well as humanitarian actors – both UN agencies and NGOs - on the ground.