UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed a funding allocation of $5 million to support a critical polio vaccination campaign in Gaza following the re-emergence of the virus in the region. The campaign aims to prevent a wider outbreak and will be carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
The two-round vaccination campaign is set to begin on Sunday, September 1, targeting over 640,000 children under the age of 10 in Gaza with two doses of the polio vaccine. The campaign’s objective is to halt the virus’s spread and prevent a regional health crisis. The vaccination drive will be implemented in phases, starting in Central Gaza and then moving to the southern and northern regions. Each phase will last three days and coincide with area-specific humanitarian pauses to allow children and families to access healthcare facilities and enable community health workers to reach all children.
In preparation for the campaign, approximately 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have been delivered to Gaza, with an additional 400,000 doses expected to arrive soon. The campaign will be supported by over 2,100 health workers, including mobile teams, to ensure effective delivery of both rounds. To successfully curb the virus’s spread, at least 90 per cent vaccination coverage is required during each round, especially considering the overcrowded living conditions, displacement, and the severely disrupted health, water, and sanitation systems in Gaza.
The planning for this urgent vaccination initiative began after the detection of the poliovirus in Gaza in July 2024. The World Health Organization confirmed on August 23 that at least one child in Gaza has been paralyzed by the variant type 2 poliovirus, marking the first case in 25 years.
The UAE, under President Sheikh Mohamed’s leadership, has been actively involved in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. This includes delivering over 40,000 tons of urgent supplies, such as food, medical aid, and shelter materials. The UAE has also established a field hospital in southern Gaza and a floating hospital at the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, which together have provided medical care to over 27,000 injured Palestinians. Additional initiatives by the UAE aim to provide treatment for more than 1,000 Palestinian children and 1,000 cancer patients in UAE hospitals.
Moreover, the UAE has been working to ensure water and food security in Gaza. It has established six water desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, which have a combined capacity of 1.6 million gallons per day, supplying water to over 600,000 Gazans.
The UAE’s comprehensive response to the polio outbreak and its ongoing humanitarian efforts highlight its commitment to supporting the health and well-being of the Palestinian people in Gaza.