UAE President allocates funds towards polio vaccine effort in Gaza

President Sheikh Mohamed has allocated $5 million from the UAE to support a crucial polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, where the virus has re-emerged. The campaign, starting September 1, aims to vaccinate 640,000 children under 10 with two doses each. It will be conducted in phases across central, southern, and northern Gaza, with each phase lasting three days and timed with humanitarian pauses to allow access.

The campaign, backed by the WHO, UNICEF, and UNRWA, is critical given Gaza’s overcrowded conditions and disrupted healthcare systems. The UAE has also provided significant humanitarian aid to Gaza, including a field hospital, a floating hospital, and water desalination plants. Security concerns are high, but the campaign is seen as essential for preventing the spread of polio, which does not respect borders or conflict zones.