His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, 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 US$5M from the UAE. 

Delivered in collaboration with the World Health Organization, 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 Sunday, Sept. 1st, 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.