July 2024- Sixteen people from Gaza with complicated medical conditions arrived in Spain to receive care there, through an evacuation process involving the World Health Organization (WHO) and multiple partners. Fifteen of them are children, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old. The mother of one of the children will also be treated in Spain. The patients had been in hospital in Egypt for the past several months, after evacuating from Gaza. They are a small portion of the thousands of other children and adults who need access to specialized medical care outside of Gaza.
“These very sick children will be getting the care they need thanks to cooperation between several partners and countries,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We are immensely grateful for the support and facilitation provided by Egypt and Spain. We encourage other countries who have the capacity and medical facilities to welcome people who, through no fault of their own, are caught in the grips of this war.”
Thirteen of the children have complex injuries, one has a chronic heart condition, and one is living with cancer. The children, who are accompanied by 25 family members and other caregivers, have been in Egypt since before 6 May, after which evacuations became almost impossible with the closure of the Rafah crossing. Only 23 people have been evacuated since then, via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Since October 2023, around 5000 people have been evacuated for treatment outside Gaza, with over 80% receiving care in Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Another 10 000 still need to be evacuated.
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“These children are just the tip of the iceberg. Thousands of people of all ages still remain in Gaza who need to be medically evacuated and are at risk of dying if they are unable to quickly access the advanced medical care they need,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “Patients who need evacuation outside of the Gaza Strip must be able to exit, preferably to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, but also to Egypt or Jordan and then onwards.”
“Gracias, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Health Minister Monica Garcia, and all who have made this possible. Indeed, ‘to save one child, one life, is to save humankind’ is a concept recognizing the interconnectedness of all humanity.” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
WHO once again calls for the end of the war, as peace is ultimately the best path to health.
