Wounded Palestinian children evacuated from Gaza landed in UAE UAE’s hospitals are prepared to receive the remaining children and their families from Gaza

A chartered plane carrying about 15 children from the Gaza Strip, along with their families, landed in Abu Dhabi on Friday for medical treatment as part of the UAE’s pledge to care for 1,000 children injured in the conflict.

The arrival of the children is the first step on an initiative from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed to treat 1,000 women and children to be flown to the Emirates from Gaza for treatment at UAE hospitals.

Departing from El Arish International Airport in the Arab Republic of Egypt, the plane landed at Abu Dhabi International Airport carrying children who are in the most urgent need of medical assistance, including those suffering from severe injuries and burns, as well as cancer patients who need extensive treatment, state news agency WAM reported.

An injured child arrives as Palestinian children and families who were evacuated from Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian

Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Health, emphasised that all medical and healthcare staff, and the UAE’s hospitals are prepared to receive the remaining children and their families, to provide them with comprehensive care as well as specialised services in accordance with international standards and ensure they are fully recovered prior to their safe return.

An injured child waits inside the plane as Palestinian children and families who were evacuated from Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, arrive to receive treatment in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 18, 2023.

She said: “Since the outbreak of the crisis, the UAE immediately provided urgent humanitarian aid and supplies to the Gaza Strip.”
“In this regard, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, issued a directive to allocate a humanitarian aid package of USD 20 million. His Highness also ordered the establishment of an integrated field hospital inside the Gaza Strip as part of the “Gallant Knight 3” operation.”

An injured child arrives as Palestinian children and families who were evacuated from Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, arrive to receive treatment in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 18, 2023. (Reuters)

She highlighted that the UAE has dispatched 51 planes carrying 1,400 tonnes of food, medical, and relief supplies, to support endeavors aiming at providing relief in the Gaza Strip, in coordination with international organizations such as the UN World Food Programme.

These initiatives embody the UAE’s commitment to provide relief to the Palestinian people, particularly to the most vulnerable groups, especially children, who constitute nearly half of the population of the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this month the UAE also pledged to establish a field hospital in the Gaza Strip to provide medical assistance to Palestinians as part of a humanitarian operation.

Gaza health authorities raised their death toll on Friday to more than 12,000 people, 5,000 of them children. The United Nations deems those figures credible, though they are now updated infrequently due to the difficulty of collecting information.