Polio vaccination campaign advances in northern Gaza

The polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza began on Tuesday and will run through Thursday, despite the Israeli army's obstruction of a convoy that included vehicles for the polio vaccination campaign, said the World Health Organization (WHO).

UN officials said health workers with the polio vaccination campaign arrived in northern Gaza on Tuesday. The campaign plans to vaccinate 150,000 children during the three-day humanitarian pause in Israeli military operations.

Health officials said that the third phase of the vaccination campaign in northern Gaza is extremely complicated due to restrictions on movement, new evacuation orders for areas with vaccination centers, and fuel shortages.

"The campaign went well today and there was a large turnout from the people. This phase is considered a continuation of the vaccination campaign that took place in the central and southern Gaza Strip. Through the campaign, we aim to reach every Palestinian child under the age of 10, in order to immunize these children against the disease and prevent the spread and outbreak of the disease caused by the Israeli occupation," said Marwan Al-Hamas, director general of Hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

The families of the Palestinian children waited since early morning at the designated medical centers in order to ensure that their children would receive the vaccination in light of the difficult conditions experienced by the northern areas of the Gaza Strip.

"We hope that the vaccination will reduce the severity of the widespread diseases and prevent the transmission of infection from one person to another because we live in very crowded places inside the displacement schools, so we are very happy that they received the vaccination," said Amira Abu Odeh, a displaced person in Gaza.

At the same time, many displaced people expressed uncertainty about immunizing their children against diseases, due to the miserable and unsanitary conditions in which the children live and the severe shortage of food supplies in the northern areas of the Gaza Strip.

The mass polio vaccination campaign concluded on Monday in central and southern Gaza, where more than 446,000 children have been vaccinated since the campaign began on Sept 1, according to the WHO. The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 640,000 children under the age of 10 in the Gaza Strip, through two vaccination rounds separated by weeks.

Polio vaccination campaign advances in northern Gaza

Polio vaccination campaign advances in northern Gaza

Polio vaccination campaign advances in northern Gaza

Polio vaccination campaign advances in northern Gaza

The third part of China Media Group (CMG)'s Mid-Autumn Festival gala aired on Tuesday night blends traditional Chinese culture with international artistry in a diverse lineup, bringing the audience an unforgettable night of music performance and poetry recitation.

The annual gala broadcast, also known as "Qiuwan" in Chinese, was recorded in Shenyang City of northeast China's Liaoning Province, a 2,300-year-old city boasting three world cultural heritage sites and over 1,500 historical and cultural sites. The city is also one of the most well-known industrial cities in China.

Themed "Moon Bright", the third part of the grand gala features an array of classic songs, reunion-themed narratives, and touching performances. Highlights include a music adaptation of the famous Chinese poem Qing Ping Diao by Tang Dynasty Poet Li Bai (701-762), which captures the essence of ancient Chinese beauty and expression; and a middle-school chorus from the Macao Special Administrative Region, singing about their love for the country and hopes for a brighter future.

The third segment of the show also features celebrated French musician Richard Clayderman, who enchants the audience with his timeless A Comme Amour a breathtaking rendition of The Butterfly Lovers concerto. The concerto, inspired by the tragic love story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, is a modern classic that intertwines Chinese folklore with romantic Western composition techniques.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the night when the moon reaches its fullest and brightest on the 15th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar. This year, the day fell on Tuesday (Sept 17). During the festival, families reunite, admire the moon, share the traditional festive pastry of mooncakes and light up lanterns.

Part 3 of CMG Mid-Autumn Festival Gala showcases diverse lineup of performances