A first group of babies received polio vaccinations in Gaza on Saturday ahead of the official launch of a much-anticipated UN-led campaign on Sunday.
Babies at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, central Gaza, were among the first to receive the vital vaccines on Saturday, according to footage captured by Reuters news agency.
The main UN agency in Gaza, UNRWA, plans to vaccinate over 640,000 children in the war-torn enclave, facilitated by a series of pauses in the fighting approved by Israel.
During a press conference organized by the Ministry of Health in Gaza to officially launch the campaign, Deputy Health Minister Yousef Abu Al-Reesh said that if “the international community wants the campaign to succeed” it should demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The return of polio to Gaza is a measure of the destruction caused by more than 10 months of Israeli bombardment. The UN campaign comes after the highly contagious virus was found in sewage samples in the strip in June. A baby has since become the first person in Gaza in 25 years to be diagnosed with polio.
Before the war, Gaza had almost universal polio vaccine coverage, but it has since fallen below 90%. Polio most often affects children under the age of 5 and can cause irreversible paralysis and even death. It is highly contagious and there is no cure. It can only be prevented by immunization, according to the World Health Organization.
The vaccination campaign comes as aid organizations reported Israeli attacks on their convoys. A charity said one Israeli attack on a humanitarian vehicle in Gaza killed several employees of a transport company. The Israeli military said it targeted “gunmen” who had taken over the convoy.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com