UAE Convoy of One Million COVID-19 Vaccines Reaches Gaza
Palestinian authorities say only a third of Gaza's residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus
A United Arab Emirates medical convoy of one million COVID-19 vaccines reached the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday, state news agency WAM said on Thursday.
The report said the Sputnik shots were the biggest medical support convoy from the UAE to the Palestinian strip since the start of the pandemic.
According to figures released Thursday by the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah, just over 30 percent of Gaza's population of about two million are fully vaccinated, compared with 60 percent in the West Bank.
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Authorities in Gaza confirmed 1,398 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed active cases to 6,759. However, a relatively small number of tests means the actual number of COVID carriers in the Hamas-controlled enclave may be much higher.
Overall, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, 1.96 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have reached the Strip.