EU calls for 3-day emergency humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza: Our humanity demands it

Josep Borrell, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has issued a statement regarding the polio outbreak spreading in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli attack since October 2023. Calling for a three-day emergency humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate vaccinations, Borrell stated, "Our humanity demands it."

In a statement shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Josep Borrell said:

"The rapid spread of polio threatens all children in Gaza, already weakened by displacement, deprivation, and malnutrition. I join the calls by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF for a 3-day emergency humanitarian ceasefire to allow for vaccination, independent of broader negotiations. Our humanity demands it."

'PERFECT' CONDITIONS FOR POLIO VIRUS

Sam Rose, Senior Deputy Field Director for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), also joined the daily UN press briefing online to provide an assessment of the situation.

Sam Rose stated that the environment in Gaza, where people are displaced and forced to move frequently due to Israeli evacuation orders, is 'perfect' for the emergence and spread of the polio virus.

Highlighting the difficulty of accessing basic food, water, and healthcare services in Gaza, Rose said, "It is precisely in these conditions that polio has re-emerged in Gaza, with a small number of cases that could spread very quickly." Describing the working conditions of UN staff in Gaza as 'a new challenge every day,' Rose pointed out that the vaccination campaign to be launched to prevent the spread of polio will also take place under these same difficult conditions.

Meanwhile, UN Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric noted at the daily press briefing that it is 'highly unlikely' that the 50,000 babies born in Gaza since the crisis began on October 7, 2023, have received any vaccinations. Dujarric shared that as of Monday, August 26, 1.2 million doses of polio vaccine had been delivered to Gaza, with plans to vaccinate more than 640,000 children in the region.

News Source: 12punto