Reporting by Elaph Qaddah; Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Health Ministry of the Syrian regime has launched on March 13, a new polio vaccination campaign for all children under five across the country.
The campaign has been financially and logistically supported by the World Health Organization (WHO),the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
However lack of support in liberated areas in Horan have deprived children of benefitting from that campaign.
Doctors in the liberated Horan and Daraa, shouthern of Syrian complained of lack of financial support to perform the polio vaccination campaign that was launched 5 months ago with help of 500 volunteers.
Dr. Yarub Abdul-Fattah responsible for vaccination campaign in Horan confirmed to Zaman Al Wasl that unexplained and unjustified delay in letting vaccine in, as they were supposed to arrive in September 2015, but they have just arrived a month ago.
Abdul Fattah added although (UNICEF) had supported the vaccine campaign in areas controlled by the regime, it rejected letting vaccine in Horan’s areas, subsequently WATAD association took the task over on its responsibilities with lots of reservations.
Dr. Abdul-Fattah explained more reasons for delaying the vaccine as the Qatari Red Crescent had stopped support of the campaign after long delay in receiving them, which pushed it to head toward the northern areas of Syria as there are lots of facilitation from the Turkish side.
responsible for the campaign added that lack of support pushed doctors in liberated areas in Daraa to keep vaccines in fridges waiting for support for the logistic expenses like transportation, food and drinks for 500 volunteers at a cost of $100 each, therefore expenses could reach to $50,000, added to expenses for spreading the awareness of the campaign like educational brochures and other media devices, not to forget the need for training the volunteers and providing safe and cold storing for vaccines which needs fuel.
The responsible for vaccination campaign in Daraa mentioned that lack of support and delaying the campaign would put children in the Horan area under increasing risk of getting infected with polio it they had not received the vaccine, or in best scenario, it they received vaccines from the regime, which is not trusted.
In the end, Dr. Yarub mentioned that the major obstacle for delivering medicine and aid to Horan areas is the unexplained complex and difficult security procedure by the Jordanian side at its borders with Syria.
the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), regime’s official news agency, has detailed that polio vaccine campaign targets 298,000 children in Damascus, 327,000 in Damascus Countryside, 308,000 in Hama, 16,000 in Deir Ezzor, 200,000 in Homs, 52,000 in Sweida, 52,000 in Quneitra, 164,000 in Lattakia, 126,000 in Tartous, 230,000 in Hasaka, 145,000 in Daraa and 300,000 children in Aleppo.
Numbers of vaccinated children in liberated areas are not available yet for the latest campaign, However, Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) of the National Coalition for the Revolutionary Forces and opposition had detailed that the eighth polio vaccination campaign encompassed seven governorates of the liberated north, namely: Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Alraqa, Alhasakeh and Der Alzour. The approximate numbers of vaccinated children were : 500 Thousand child in Aleppo, 240 Thousand child in Idlib, 230 Thousand child in Der Alzour, 200 Thousand child in Alraqa, 40 Thousand child in Alhasakeh, 38 Thousand child in Hama and 6 Thousand child in Latakia.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Health Ministry of the Syrian regime has launched on March 13, a new polio vaccination campaign for all children under five across the country.
The campaign has been financially and logistically supported by the World Health Organization (WHO),the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
However lack of support in liberated areas in Horan have deprived children of benefitting from that campaign.
Doctors in the liberated Horan and Daraa, shouthern of Syrian complained of lack of financial support to perform the polio vaccination campaign that was launched 5 months ago with help of 500 volunteers.
Dr. Yarub Abdul-Fattah responsible for vaccination campaign in Horan confirmed to Zaman Al Wasl that unexplained and unjustified delay in letting vaccine in, as they were supposed to arrive in September 2015, but they have just arrived a month ago.
Abdul Fattah added although (UNICEF) had supported the vaccine campaign in areas controlled by the regime, it rejected letting vaccine in Horan’s areas, subsequently WATAD association took the task over on its responsibilities with lots of reservations.
Dr. Abdul-Fattah explained more reasons for delaying the vaccine as the Qatari Red Crescent had stopped support of the campaign after long delay in receiving them, which pushed it to head toward the northern areas of Syria as there are lots of facilitation from the Turkish side.
responsible for the campaign added that lack of support pushed doctors in liberated areas in Daraa to keep vaccines in fridges waiting for support for the logistic expenses like transportation, food and drinks for 500 volunteers at a cost of $100 each, therefore expenses could reach to $50,000, added to expenses for spreading the awareness of the campaign like educational brochures and other media devices, not to forget the need for training the volunteers and providing safe and cold storing for vaccines which needs fuel.
The responsible for vaccination campaign in Daraa mentioned that lack of support and delaying the campaign would put children in the Horan area under increasing risk of getting infected with polio it they had not received the vaccine, or in best scenario, it they received vaccines from the regime, which is not trusted.
In the end, Dr. Yarub mentioned that the major obstacle for delivering medicine and aid to Horan areas is the unexplained complex and difficult security procedure by the Jordanian side at its borders with Syria.
the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), regime’s official news agency, has detailed that polio vaccine campaign targets 298,000 children in Damascus, 327,000 in Damascus Countryside, 308,000 in Hama, 16,000 in Deir Ezzor, 200,000 in Homs, 52,000 in Sweida, 52,000 in Quneitra, 164,000 in Lattakia, 126,000 in Tartous, 230,000 in Hasaka, 145,000 in Daraa and 300,000 children in Aleppo.
Numbers of vaccinated children in liberated areas are not available yet for the latest campaign, However, Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) of the National Coalition for the Revolutionary Forces and opposition had detailed that the eighth polio vaccination campaign encompassed seven governorates of the liberated north, namely: Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Alraqa, Alhasakeh and Der Alzour. The approximate numbers of vaccinated children were : 500 Thousand child in Aleppo, 240 Thousand child in Idlib, 230 Thousand child in Der Alzour, 200 Thousand child in Alraqa, 40 Thousand child in Alhasakeh, 38 Thousand child in Hama and 6 Thousand child in Latakia.
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