A 10-month-old baby in the Gaza Strip has been paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such case in Gaza in 25 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

The baby, who has lost movement in his lower left leg, is currently in stable condition, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

“Delaying a humanitarian pause will increase the risk of spread among children,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said.

The WHO announced that two rounds of a polio vaccination campaign are set to begin in late August and September 2024 across the Gaza Strip.