In a significant humanitarian operation, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 85 critically ill and injured patients were evacuated from the Gaza Strip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for specialized medical care on Tuesday.
Patients and Conditions
The patients, consisting of 35 children and 50 adults, were accompanied by 63 family members and caregivers. They were transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel, then to Ramon Airport near Eilat, and finally flown to Abu Dhabi.
Medical Conditions:
- Cancer: 53 patients, including 4 children
- Trauma Injuries: 20 patients
- Blood Diseases: 3 patients (including thalassemia)
- Congenital Conditions: 3 patients
- Fanconi Anaemia: 2 patients
- Neurological Condition: 1 patient
- Cardiac Disease: 1 patient
- Liver Disease: 1 patient
- Renal Failure: 1 patient
Impact of the Conflict
The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel has resulted in significant casualties. The Hamas attack on southern Israel led to the deaths of 1,197 people, primarily civilians. Israel’s military response in Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 39,400 people, as per the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory.
Medical Evacuations
Since October, around 5,000 individuals have been evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment, with the majority receiving care in Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE. Over 10,000 more people in Gaza are in urgent need of medical evacuation, according to WHO.
Call for Ceasefire and More Evacuations
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed gratitude to the UAE for facilitating the evacuation and stressed the need for establishing evacuation corridors through all possible routes, including the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings to Egypt and Jordan. He also called for the restoration of medical evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
“We hope this operation paves the way for more evacuation corridors and ultimately, a ceasefire to end the suffering,” Ghebreyesus said.
