The United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed on Friday that the second phase of the anti-polio campaign is scheduled to vaccinate nearly 340,000 children in southern Gaza.

United Nations.- 161,000 children were immunized this first day of this phase, Dujarric told the press.

After finishing the first phase in the center of the enclave, over 500 vaccination teams traveled to the southern zone, the second stop of the campaign.

The spokesperson said that, in addition, four large health facilities in central Gaza will continue to offer the vaccine in the coming days, to ensure that no child is left without the immunogen.

The diplomat advanced that the third phase will be deployed to the north of the Strip between September 9 and 11, to vaccinate some 150,000 children below 10 years of age.

Dujarric insisted that it is necessary to preserve the truce in hostilities for the rest of the process; the ceasefire would equally allow the UN to engage in other critical humanitarian endeavors.

According to the spokesperson, the campaign further requires the truce to be extended to four weeks, to apply a second dose of the vaccine. (PL)