Gaza’s Children at Risk of Preventable Disease Due to Missed Vaccines – UNRWA

January 20, 2026 News
Children in Gaza face growing risks of preventable disease as healthcare systems collapse and access to vaccinations remains severely limited, UNRWA warned. (Photo: WHO)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

UNRWA, in coordination with UNICEF, the World Health Organization and local partners, began the second round of a vaccination campaign on Sunday, targeting children under the age of three.

Children in the Gaza Strip are at risk of preventable diseases as they continue to miss essential vaccinations amid the catastrophic humanitarian situation following Israel’s two-year military assault on the enclave, UNRWA warned on Monday.

“Amid more than two years of war in the Gaza Strip, children repeatedly missed out on the vaccines that they need to keep them safe from preventable diseases,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on X.

He said the severe winter weather, including freezing temperatures, heavy rainfall, and floods, “has Gaza in its grip”, further compounding health risks.

“This compounds disease risks that are already at record highs because of poor water & sanitation in overcrowded shelters + the collapse of the medical system,” Lazzarini stated.

UNRWA, in coordination with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and local partners, began the second round of a vaccination campaign on Sunday, targeting children under the age of three.

Scaled-Up Efforts Underway

The WHO said in a recent statement that vaccination activities will be carried out by 170 vaccination teams at 129 health facilities, with seven mobile teams deployed to hard-to-reach communities across Gaza.

“While efforts to protect children’s health and rehabilitate the health system are being scaled up, the situation in the Gaza Strip remains terribly challenging for children and families,” the statement noted.

Since the US-backed ceasefire began in October, a total of 466 Palestinians have been killed, and 1,294 Palestinians injured, including over 100 children, “further straining already overstretched health services,” the WHO said.

Partially Functioning Hospitals

The organization pointed out that only around half of the Strip’s 36 hospitals are currently partially functional, “and efforts to strengthen diagnostic capacity continue to be hindered by delays in the entry of laboratory equipment classified as dual-use.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday said Gaza’s population continues “to face immense suffering 100 days after the ceasefire.”

“They need an end to the violence. They need urgent humanitarian assistance. Extreme weather conditions and flooding only exacerbate the daily struggle to survive,” the ICRC said in a statement on X.

Cold Kills Another Infant

Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday the death of a six-month-old baby, Shatha Abu Jarad, due to the severe cold, raising the number of child deaths to nine due to the freezing temperatures since the beginning of winter.

The total death toll since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023 has risen to 71,551, with 171,372 injured, according to the Health Ministry’s figures.

The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.

In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.

Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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