A group of 30 to 50 severely ill and injured Palestinian children will be transported from Gaza to the UK for medical care in the upcoming weeks.
They would be the inaugural kids taken to the UK for care as part of a governmental effort coordinated by the Foreign Office, Home Office, and Department of Health.
Doctors from the Hamas-led health ministry will choose the children based on need, followed by the World Health Organization organizing travel.
This follows a letter from several MPs to the government, pressing them to transport sick and injured children from Gaza to the UK "immediately."
In a letter last week, a bipartisan group of 96 MPs cautioned that children are at risk of immediate death owing to the "devastation" of the healthcare system in Gaza, urging the prompt removal of any obstacles to evacuation.
A few Gazan children have been privately transported to the UK for medical care via the initiative by Project Pure Hope (PPH), but the government has yet to evacuate any through its own program amid the conflict.
In early August, the government announced that efforts to bring additional children to the UK for medical care were being implemented "swiftly."
Patients requiring critical, specialized treatment would be prioritized for referral by the attending doctor or medical specialist, following standardized clinical protocols. A referral does not ensure that evacuation will be approved.
The Referral Committee of the Ministry of Health in Gaza reviews the situation, determines the urgency, and authorizes the medical evacuation.
At this stage, the WHO intervenes to align documents with possible host nations, obtain security clearance from Israeli officials, and arrange travel logistics.
Ill children will be transported from the hospital with family members, typically one adult and a maximum of three children, through a third country, where biometric information will be gathered.
The specific third country the children will pass through en route to the UK is uncertain, along with the exact number of children participating, or if additional groups will come afterwards.
The host nation commits to paying for treatment, which encompasses mental health assistance, along with accommodation and living expenses for the patient and their companions.
Considering the difficulty of sending children back to Gaza, it is recognized that some might enter the asylum system after finishing treatment, as returning patients should be able to receive the care they require.
According to the UN charity UNICEF, over 50,000 children have been killed or injured since the onset of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the UK has allocated resources for the treatment of injured Gazans in local hospitals and has been collaborating with Jordan to deliver aid into the area via airdrops.
Kids brought to the UK through the government scheme will receive care from the NHS.
In early August, the government announced a cross-party task force was coordinating efforts to create a plan to "evacuate children from Gaza in need of immediate medical attention... as swiftly as possible."
The Home Office had earlier stated that biometric checks would be conducted on children and caregivers before their travel.
Since the war began, seriously ill Palestinians have been evacuated from Gaza to various countries, with over 180 adults and children sent to Italy.
The UN has issued a warning regarding extensive malnutrition in Gaza, with specialists supported by the agency indicating in a report from last month that the "worst-case scenario" of famine is unfolding in Gaza.
Israel has claimed there are no limitations on aid deliveries into Gaza and accused the UN and various aid organizations of not delivering it.
According to the health ministry operated by Hamas, over 60,000 individuals have lost their lives in Gaza since the onset of the Israeli military campaign.
Israel initiated its operation following the Hamas-directed assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 individuals being captured.
0 Comments