Spain provides urgent medical care for children from Gaza

Children from Gaza have been flown to Spain for “urgent medical care” as part of an initiative involving the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU, Sky News has reported.

The children had been hospitalised in Egypt for several months following their evacuation from Gaza. With at least 90,000 Palestinians wounded by Israel over the past 10 months, they represent just a fraction of the children and adults in Gaza who require specialised medical care.

“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 flown to Spain have complex injuries, one has a chronic heart condition, and another is living with cancer. Among them is a three-year-old with head trauma; a 13-year-old in need of limb reconstruction; and a 10-year-old with multiple facial injuries and trauma to the left eye.

Accompanied by 25 family members and caregivers, these children have been in Egypt since before 6 May, after which evacuations became nearly impossible due to the closure of the Rafah Border Crossing by Israel. Since then, only 23 people have been evacuated via the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing through the occupation state.

Acaba de llegar un grupo de 15 menores gazatíes enfermos.

Respondemos así a nuestro compromiso con la @WHO, ofreciéndoles un tratamiento seguro y dándoles lo que todo niño merece, haya nacido donde haya nacido: una infancia en salud y con esperanza.

Bienvenidos a España. pic.twitter.com/WlAmXT6RXL

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 24, 2024

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez took to X to reassure the children and their families that they would receive “safe treatment” and “what every child deserves, wherever they were born: a healthy and hopeful childhood. Welcome to Spain.”

The children and their caregivers arrived in Madrid from Cairo and will be treated at hospitals across Spain.

“This milestone co-operation will secure life-saving treatment for injured children in Europe,” said PCRF chair Vivian Khalaf.

READ: Jordan field hospital crew arrives in northern Gaza