Fifteen children from Gaza for emergency medical care in Spain

Sixteen people from Gaza with complicated medical conditions will arrive in Spain today to receive care there, through an evacuation process involving the World Health Organization (WHO) and multiple partners. Among them are fifteen children, aged from 3 to 17 years. The mother of one of the children will also be treated in Spain. The patients have been in a hospital in Egypt for the past few months, after being evacuated from Gaza. They are a small fraction of the thousands of other children and adults who need access to specialized medical care outside Gaza.

“These very sick children will get the care they need thanks to the collaboration between several partners and countries,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO. “We are extremely grateful for the support and assistance provided by Egypt and Spain. We encourage other countries that have the capacity and medical facilities to receive people who, through no fault of their own, are caught in the clutches of this war.”

Thirteen children have complex injuries, one has chronic heart disease, and one is living with cancer. The children, who are accompanied by 25 family members and other guardians, have been in Egypt since before May 6, after which evacuations became almost impossible due to the closure of the Rafah crossing. Since then, only 23 people have been evacuated via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

As of October 2023, around 5,000 people have been evacuated for treatment outside of Gaza, with more than 80% receiving care in Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Another 10,000 still need to be evacuated.

“These kids are just the tip of the iceberg. “Thousands of people of all ages are still in Gaza in need of medical evacuation and are at risk of death 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 the Gaza Strip must be able to get out, preferably to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, but also to Egypt or Jordan and beyond.”

Today's evacuation to Spain was supported by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in partnership with the World Health Organization. The Palestinian Children's Fund facilitated patient documentation and evacuation approvals. The government of Egypt supported their care while they were there, and Spain provides similar support. The children will be treated in various hospitals throughout Spain.

WHO encourages other countries to follow suit.

“We are truly grateful to Spain, a WHO/Europe member state, for responding so readily to our request to accept several children from Gaza for critical treatment, a pattern that other countries will follow,” said Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “Gracias, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Health Minister Monica Garcia and everyone who made this possible. Indeed, 'to save one child, one life, is to save humanity' is a concept that recognizes the interconnectedness of all humanity.”

WHO calls for the establishment of multiple medical evacuation corridors to ensure sustainable, organized, safe and timely passage of patients via all possible routes, including Rafah and Kerem Shalom. Of greatest urgency is the resumption of medical evacuation from Gaza to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where hospitals are ready to receive patients. Patients must also be allowed to be transferred to Egypt and Jordan, and from there to other countries as needed.

“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 seriously ill people are getting the medical care they need should not be headline news, but a routine global collaboration.”

WHO once again calls for an end to war because peace is ultimately the best way to health.