Fifteen children from Gaza to receive urgent 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. Fifteen of them are children, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old. 

The patients had been in hospital in Egypt for the past several months, after evacuating from Gaza.

They are a small portion of the thousands of other children and adults who need access to specialized medical care outside of Gaza.

Thirteen of the children have complex injuries, one has a chronic heart condition, and one is living with cancer.

The children, who are accompanied by 25 family members and other caregivers, have been in Egypt since before 6 May, after which evacuations became almost impossible with the closure of the Rafah crossing.

Only 23 people have been evacuated since then, via the Kerem Shalom crossing. 

Since October 2023, around 5000 people have been evacuated for treatment outside Gaza, with over 80% receiving care in Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Another 10 000 still need to be evacuated.

Today’s evacuation to Spain was supported through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in partnership with WHO.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund facilitated the patients’ documentation and evacuation approvals.

The Government of Egypt supported their care while they were there, and Spain is providing similar support. The children will be treated at various hospitals across Spain.