UNICEF has raised urgent concerns over Israel's blockage of 1.6 million syringes and refrigeration equipment critical for vaccinating children in Gaza, as the agency races to immunize 40,000 children under three against preventable diseases. The supplies, held since August 2025 due to Israeli "dual-use" restrictions, threaten to derail a fragile vaccination campaign launched this week amid a temporary ceasefire.
"These delays put vulnerable children at risk of measles, polio, and pneumonia outbreaks," said UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires, noting that 2,400 children received vaccines on the first day of the campaign. Solar-powered fridges needed to store vaccines and 938,000 bottles of infant formula also remain blocked.
While COGAT, Israel's military aid coordination unit, denies restricting medical supplies and claims daily delivery of hundreds of aid trucks, UNICEF insists "alternative solutions" proposed lack operational clarity. The impasse complicates relief efforts for Gaza's 2 million residents, where malnutrition rates remain high despite increased humanitarian access following the October 10 truce.
With two more vaccination rounds planned before year-end, UNICEF warns that withheld supplies could prolong Gaza's health crisis. "Every delayed syringe represents a child left unprotected," Pires emphasized during a Geneva briefing.
