UAE President directs $5m fund for urgent polio vaccination drive in Gaza

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed funding for the delivery of a critical polio vaccination drive in Gaza following the re-emergence of the virus within the territory. The campaign will be supported by a pledge of $5 million from the UAE.

Delivered in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef and UNRWA, the two-round campaign will provide over 640,000 Gazan children under the age of 10 with two doses of the polio vaccine, in an effort to stop the spread of the virus and prevent a wider regional outbreak.

The campaign will begin on Sunday (Sept.1), in a staggered schedule, starting in Central Gaza and then moving to South and then North Gaza. Each phase will continue for three days during area-specific humanitarian pauses, to enable children and families to access health facilities and community workers to reach children.

Some 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have been delivered to Gaza in preparation for distribution, with a further 400,000 doses due to arrive soon. More than 2,100 health workers, including mobile teams, will support the delivery of both rounds of the campaign.

At least 90 per cent vaccination coverage is needed during each round to prevent the spread of polio, given the overcrowding, displacement and severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems within Gaza.

Campaign planning began after the poliovirus was detected in Gaza in July 2024. The World Health Organisation confirmed on Aug.23 that at least one child in Gaza has been paralysed by the variant type 2 poliovirus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

Under the direction of President Sheikh Mohamed, the UAE has also been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts in Gaza, delivering more than 40,000 tonnes of urgent supplies, including food, medical aid and shelter materials.

The UAE has established a field hospital in southern Gaza, along with a floating hospital at the Egyptian port of Al Arish, which have collectively provided medical care to over 27,000 injured and wounded Palestinians. A further initiative seeks to provide treatment for more than 1,000 Palestinian children and 1,000 cancer patients in UAE hospitals.

In its pursuit of ensuring water and food security, the UAE has established six water desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, with a capacity of 1.6 million gallons per day, supplying water to over 600,000 Gazans.

WAM