SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES ALL PARTIES IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO TO CEASE HOSTILITIES DURING FIRST ROUND OF POLIO VACCINATION, 8 - 20 AUGUST

Press Release
SG/SM/7075
AFR/158

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES ALL PARTIES IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO TO CEASE HOSTILITIES DURING FIRST ROUND OF POLIO VACCINATION, 8 - 20 AUGUST

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary- General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General urges all parties concerned in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to cease hostilities throughout the country before and during the first polio vaccination round from 8 to 20 August. He trusts that a peaceful and secure environment will be provided to give all Congolese children under the age of five protection from the crippling disease of polio.

The Secretary-General reiterates his statement of 9 March, in which he called for "days of tranquillity" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to allow for the polio immunization campaign to cover some 10 million children under the age of five. He recalls Security Council resolution 1234 of 9 April 1999 urging all parties to respect a truce and support the vaccination campaign.

The Secretary-General also recalls President Kabila's commitment to support the vaccination campaign and the willingness expressed by the leadership of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) to his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to facilitate the campaign.

United Nations agencies, in particular the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other humanitarian partners, are proceeding with preparation for the vaccination campaign in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The first round is scheduled to start on 13 August. Two more rounds are scheduled for September and October.

The Secretary-General is grateful for the practical assistance to the campaign preparation provided by local authorities. Thanks to a concerted effort of United Nations agencies, NGOs and provincial health personnel, 16,000 vaccination sites have been identified for the campaign. Logistical and security constraints, however, remain in many areas.

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