Fw: AP Interview: UN seeks Syria polio access (Lake)

From: Douglas T. Coffman [mailto Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 04:16 PM Subject: AP Interview: UN seeks Syria polio access (Lake)

10/29/2013 09:13:10

AP Interview: UN seeks Syria polio access

DUSAN STOJANOVIC, Associated Press

Source: AP Online Regional - Middle-East Date: October 29, 2013

DAMASCUS, Syria -- A top U.N. official is urging warring sides in Syria to grant health workers access to over 500,000 children who are in immediate need of vaccination amid an outbreak of polio in the country.

The U.N.'s health agency said Tuesday it has confirmed 10 polio cases in northeast Syria, the first confirmed emergence of the highly contagious disease in the country in 14 years. There is a risk of it spreading across the region.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said in an interview with The Associated Press in the Syrian capital Tuesday that the polio outbreak "now is not only a desperate issue for Syria, but it becomes part of the global issue as well."