Palestinian children carry pots of soup near a food distribution point in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip on August 21, 2024. (Photo by Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP)
Gaza: Acting Director of Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip warned of health risks to children due to the Israeli occupation forces deliberate prevention of polio vaccines from reaching the Strip.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr. Mohammed Salha said that many health risks surround children in the Strip due to the suspension of most of the necessary vaccines since the beginning of the war on Gaza last October.
He stated that the polio virus could spread if the situation in Gaza remains the same without taking into account the catastrophic humanitarian situation, stressing the need to introduce the necessary polio vaccinations.
Dr. Mohammed Salha added that vaccinations need to be preserved and their effectiveness ensured by providing electricity to refrigerators around the clock, which is not currently available, noting that the comprehensive vaccination process requires a safe and stable security situation, which necessitates stopping the aggression on Gaza.
A radical solution to the electricity problem could be by providing alternative energy projects from international institutions and donors, Salha added, expressing his concern about the spread of other epidemics due to the accumulation of waste that caused skin diseases.
