UN Plans to Evacuate 2,500 Children from Gaza
World
California trauma surgeon Feroz Siddiqui, who worked in Gaza from March 25 to April 8 last year, stated: “In the next few weeks, nearly 2,500 children are at risk of death. Some are dying now. Some will die tomorrow. Some the day after.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, after meeting with American doctors, called for the urgent evacuation of 2,500 children from Gaza for medical treatment. The 15-month-long war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas has devastated the healthcare system and infrastructure, affecting more than 2 million people.
Guterres said he was “deeply moved” by his meeting with American doctors on Thursday. “2,500 children must be urgently evacuated with guarantees of their return to their families and communities,” he wrote on social media after the meeting.
A few days before the ceasefire began on January 19, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 12,000 patients were awaiting medical evacuation and hoped their numbers would increase during the ceasefire.
California-based doctor Feroz Siddiqui noted, “Most of those 2,500 children need very basic medical care.” He cited the case of a three-year-old child with a burned hand. The burns had healed, but scar tissue was gradually cutting off blood flow, putting the child at risk of amputation.
Ayesha Khan, an emergency physician at Stanford University Hospital who worked in Gaza from late November to January 1, spoke about many children who had undergone amputations but had no access to prosthetics or rehabilitation. “The only chance for their survival is medical evacuation,” she said.
Israel’s defense agency COGAT, which liaises with Palestinians, did not respond to requests for comment on Guterres’ and the doctors’ call for the evacuation of 2,500 children. Israel’s UN mission also did not comment.
Doctors emphasize the need for a centralized process with clear guidelines for medical evacuations. “Under this ceasefire agreement, there should be a mechanism for medical evacuations. However, we have yet to see a clear framework for this process,” said Thaer Ahmad, an emergency physician from Chicago who worked in Gaza in January 2024.
Khan stated that there is currently no established process for evacuating children and added: “Will they be allowed to return? There is ongoing debate about the Rafah border crossing being open only for exits but not guaranteeing the right of return.”
For reference, earlier this month, before the ceasefire was signed, the WHO reported that 5,383 patients had been evacuated since the war began in October 2023.
Guterres said he was “deeply moved” by his meeting with American doctors on Thursday. “2,500 children must be urgently evacuated with guarantees of their return to their families and communities,” he wrote on social media after the meeting.
A few days before the ceasefire began on January 19, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 12,000 patients were awaiting medical evacuation and hoped their numbers would increase during the ceasefire.
California-based doctor Feroz Siddiqui noted, “Most of those 2,500 children need very basic medical care.” He cited the case of a three-year-old child with a burned hand. The burns had healed, but scar tissue was gradually cutting off blood flow, putting the child at risk of amputation.
Ayesha Khan, an emergency physician at Stanford University Hospital who worked in Gaza from late November to January 1, spoke about many children who had undergone amputations but had no access to prosthetics or rehabilitation. “The only chance for their survival is medical evacuation,” she said.
Israel’s defense agency COGAT, which liaises with Palestinians, did not respond to requests for comment on Guterres’ and the doctors’ call for the evacuation of 2,500 children. Israel’s UN mission also did not comment.
Doctors emphasize the need for a centralized process with clear guidelines for medical evacuations. “Under this ceasefire agreement, there should be a mechanism for medical evacuations. However, we have yet to see a clear framework for this process,” said Thaer Ahmad, an emergency physician from Chicago who worked in Gaza in January 2024.
Khan stated that there is currently no established process for evacuating children and added: “Will they be allowed to return? There is ongoing debate about the Rafah border crossing being open only for exits but not guaranteeing the right of return.”
For reference, earlier this month, before the ceasefire was signed, the WHO reported that 5,383 patients had been evacuated since the war began in October 2023.
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