UPDATE - WHO chief says nearly 157,000 children vaccinated so far in 2nd round of polio campaign

ADDS REMARKS FROM WHO BRIEFING

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said Wednesday that the total number of children who got a second dose of polio vaccine in central Gaza reached nearly 157,000 after the completion of day two of the current round of vaccinations.

Noting that the vaccination continues today, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that over 128,000 children also got vitamin A supplements.

"We call for the humanitarian pauses to continue to be respected," Tedros said. "We call for a ceasefire and peace."

Tarik Jasarevic, WHO spokesperson, on Tuesday told a UN briefing in Geneva that on day one of the second vaccination campaign, some 92,800 children under 10 got a second dose of the polio vaccine, in line with expectations.

No major issues were reported, he added.

An estimated 590,000 children across Gaza are supposed to receive the second dose over the next 10 days, he explained.

Phase one of the campaign, which concluded on Sept. 12, included over half a million Palestinian children.

- WHO requests humanitarian access to northern Gaza from Israel

Tedros stressed that escalating violence in northern Gaza has blocked humanitarian missions from reaching people with food and medical supplies.

Only one UN mission out of 54 was successfully facilitated to northern Gaza in the first half of October, he said, adding that the rest were either denied, canceled, or impeded.

"We ask Israel to give WHO and our partners access to the north so we can reach those who desperately need aid," he said.

He noted that the WHO and its partners managed to deliver supplies and fuel to the Kamal Adwan and Al-Sahaba hospitals on Saturday, but only after nine attempts last week.

On Monday's airstrike on Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, he said that it was the eighth time that the hospital compound has been attacked since March.

"Under international humanitarian law, all actors have a duty to ensure health care is protected, and not attacked," he said.

At least four people were killed and 40 others injured when Israeli warplanes hit a courtyard at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gazan city of Deir al-Balah, burning dozens of tents as displaced Palestinians slept.

During its offensive in Gaza, Israel has launched numerous attacks on hospitals, schools, and houses of worship – civilian sites normally off limits under the laws of war, raising the specter of war crimes.