By Ayomide Otitoju
Madrid, Spain – Sixteen individuals from Gaza, including fifteen children, have arrived in Spain today to receive urgent medical care. This evacuation was orchestrated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with multiple international partners. The children, aged 3 to 17, along with the mother of one of the children, had been hospitalized in Egypt for several months after fleeing 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 with the capacity and medical facilities to welcome people who, through no fault of their own, are caught in the grips of this war.”
Among the children, thirteen have complex injuries, one has a chronic heart condition, and another is battling cancer. They are accompanied by 25 family members and caregivers. The group has been in Egypt since early May, as evacuations became nearly impossible following the closure of the Rafah Crossing. Only 23 people have been evacuated since then via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Since October 2023, around 5,000 people have been evacuated for treatment outside Gaza, with over 80% receiving care in Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. However, another 10,000 individuals still need to be evacuated.
“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,” stated 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.”
Today’s evacuation to Spain was facilitated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in partnership with WHO. The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund managed the patients’ documentation and evacuation approvals. The Government of Egypt provided care during their stay, and Spain is now offering similar support. The children will be treated at various hospitals across Spain.
“We are truly thankful to Spain, a WHO/Europe Member State, for having responded so willingly to our request to accept several children from Gaza for critical treatment, a template for other countries to follow,” said Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “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 mankind’ is a concept recognizing the interconnectedness of all humanity.”
WHO is calling for the establishment of multiple medical evacuation corridors to ensure the sustained, organized, safe, and timely passage of patients via all possible routes, including Rafah and Kerem Shalom. Restoring medical evacuations from Gaza to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is of utmost urgency, as hospitals there are ready to receive patients. Additionally, transfers to Egypt and Jordan should be facilitated, and from there to other countries when necessary.
“The solidarity of the host countries is a bright spot in a war that has had so many moments of tragedy,” said Dr. Tedros. “The fact that severely ill people are receiving needed medical care should not be headline news, but routine global cooperation.”
WHO once again calls for an end to the conflict, emphasizing that peace is ultimately the best path to health.
