As health services in Gaza continue to struggle, several countries in Europe have offered to help with medical evacuations for children. 15 children arrived in Madrid on Wednesday.
Wed Jul 24 2024 22:38, UK
Children from Gaza have been flown to Spain for “emergency medical treatment”, in what is expected to be the first in a series of European countries offering evacuations for treatment.
About 40,000 Palestinians have died the land According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, since the October 7 attacks, Gazans face shortages of food, water, medicine and functioning hospitals.
To address the dire humanitarian situation, a deal between the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), the EU and the World Health Organization hopes to fly hundreds of injured children from Gaza to cities across Europe.
In a note from X, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed that 15 children had arrived from Gaza for treatment.
He said they would receive “safe treatment” and “what every child deserves, no matter where they are born: a healthy and hopeful childhood.”
“Welcome to Spain,” added Mr. Sanchez.
The children were due to travel from Cairo to Madrid with 27 of their closest relatives, who will receive treatment in hospitals across Spain.
According to the PCRF, these children suffer from severe conditions “such as traumatic injuries, oncology needs, and chronic heart conditions that require specialized medical intervention.”
Citing the Ministry of Health, Spanish newspaper El Pais reports that 13 patients have serious trauma injuries, including one with cancer and another with chronic heart disease.
Among those evacuated were a three-year-old with head trauma – a 13-year-old who needed his limbs rebuilt – and a 10-year-old with multiple facial injuries and “left eye trauma”.
A few children with severe burns to extensive parts of their bodies will also receive care.
“This landmark collaboration will provide life-saving treatment to injured children in Europe,” said PCRF President Vivian Khalaf.
The World Health Organization said the 15 children arriving in Spain were receiving “urgent medical care”.
“These very sick children will receive the care they need, thanks to cooperation between partners and several countries,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Director General of the World Health Organization.
“We are extremely grateful for the support and facilities provided by Egypt and Spain.
“We encourage other countries that have the capacity and medical facilities to accept people caught in the grip of this war, through no fault of their own.”
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The EU’s civil protection mechanism said Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania and Slovakia had also offered medical evacuations that included treatment and transport for patients.
Belgium, Italy and Norway are expected to follow suit by next week, the PCRF said.
read more:
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Newborns ‘have little chance of survival in Gaza’
The evacuation of the Gaza Strip is based on the experience of Ukraine
The European Union’s evacuation of children from Gaza is based on expertise developed during the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have a sophisticated procedure to help those who need treatment that is not available at home.
Overwhelmed by war-related injuries, Ukrainian hospitals lack the necessary specialists and facilities for complex cases such as maxillofacial surgery and some cancer-related treatments.
When a coordination unit in Brussels is notified of excess capacity in member states, it sends Ukrainians to a stabilization center in Poland, before transporting patients to European hospitals by buses, trains and specialist planes.
Janez Lenarczyk, the European Union’s commissioner for crisis management, said medical evacuations were “more critical than ever” and that Gaza’s remaining hospitals were “overwhelmed”.
“I thank Spain and the other EU member states for their commitment to the Palestinians in need of urgent medical care,” he added.
“Israel and all actors involved in these operations must continue to honor their commitment and facilitate the necessary access to continue withdrawals.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus posted on X that he was “extremely grateful” for Spain’s support and encouraged other countries to accept patients “caught in the grip of this war”.
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that there is a high risk of the polio virus spreading through the Gaza Strip and beyond its borders due to the dire health and sanitation situation.
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