Younis R. Awadallah
When UNICEF was forced to evacuate from Rafah in southern Gaza, Awadallah found a building in central Gaza with a meat freezer to safely store vaccines. And when a resurgence of polio was detected in Gaza in July, he led a near-impossible campaign: vaccinate nearly 600,000 children across Gaza—twice—despite destroyed roads, drone attacks, and disrupted communications. Awadallah went door-to-door to urge families to vaccinate. Over 90% of children were reached—a massive success by any measure. But even for Awadallah, there are limits to his resourcefulness. Israel has blocked entry of all humanitarian aid for two months, and the fourth round of vaccinations is on hold because polio vaccines can't enter. The health system is crumbling without medicine and medical equipment. 'We can't get supplies. No gauze for wounds. No gloves for surgery,' Awadallah says. 'The situation is catastrophic.'
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