WHO and UAE Join Forces to Evacuate 85 Critically Ill Patients from Gaza

The World Health Organization, in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates, which was basically an effort by the humanitarian icons, had successfully evacuated 85 sick and seriously injured patients from Gaza for highly specialized medical treatment in Abu Dhabi. It had been the biggest medical evacuation out of Gaza since October 2023. This is a very critical step in offering health care, which is urgently needed. Among those evacuated are 35 children and 50 adults, most of whom need advanced medical attention urgently, namely:

• 53 patients with cases of on-diseases, including 4 children
• 20 cases of trauma
• 12 patients with blood diseases, congenital conditions, neurological issues, cardiac disease, liver disease, and renal failure

This wide array of the different conditions that need treatment makes the evacuation very crucial, and the patients are in real need of special care.

It is the UAE’s urgent initiative, saving lives.

The swift response by the UAE in association with WHO has, therefore, given these patients a new lease of life. This program seeks to accord advanced medical care to UAE hospitals for the emergency healthcare needs of Palestinians who cannot be treated either in Gaza or the West Bank.

Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, expressed the deepest gratitude to the UAE: “This initiative is a clear demonstration of the intra-regional solidarity that is urgently needed. Support to people in the Region must start from the Region.”

A Complex Operation Amidst Challenges

Evacuation was a complex operation, involving multiple stages and overcoming considerable obstacles:

• The patients were first transferred from different parts of Gaza to the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
• Then they proceeded to Ramon Airport in Israel.
• Finally, they flew to Abu Dhabi for treatment.

This process was managed by the WHO teams under ultra-challenging conditions due to damaged roads and security risks.

The WHO counts on the international community to step up its efforts for a safe, continued, organized medical evacuation. The need for further urgent action is underlined by the fact that over 10,000 people in Gaza still have medical evacuation pending.

Conclusion:

The move by the UAE in conjunction with WHO is the last hope for critically ill Palestinians. This evacuation not only saves lives by rushing urgently needed medical care to patients but also opens up possibilities for other such humanitarian initiatives in the region.