A group of 10 critically ill and injured children have been evacuated from Gaza to the UK for urgent NHS medical treatment, the government has announced.
The children arrived in the UK along with their immediate families after first being evacuated from Gaza to Jordan. The government said it is now working to ensure families are given “appropriate support” during their stay.
The evacuation of 10 children and 50 companions was coordinated by a cross-government taskforce over recent weeks and assisted by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Officials described it as a “complex humanitarian operation”.
Their arrival comes as part of a scheme in which up to 300 young people will enter the UK for free medical care. More children will be arriving in the UK for care in the coming weeks.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said: “No one can fail to be distressed by the devastating impact the war has had on the children of Gaza, and I cannot imagine the fear and anguish their families have endured. It is a soul-destroying situation that compels us to act.
“Every child deserves the chance to heal, to play, to simply be able to dream again. These young patients have witnessed horrors no child should ever see, but this marks the start of their journey towards recovery.”
The families were supported by the British embassy in Jordan and were subject to “robust” security checks prior to their arrival in the UK, officials said.
On Monday, two children from Gaza arrived in Scotland for treatment along with their families.
Since the war began in October 2023, three children from Gaza have been issued with medical visas for the UK and are being treated privately under an initiative by Project Pure Hope.
The latest figures from Unicef’s nutrition partners show that one in five children was diagnosed with acute malnutrition, the deadliest form, in Gaza City in August.
Dr Philip Goodwin, chief executive of the United Kingdom committee for Unicef, said: “The decision by the UK government to evacuate and treat hundreds of injured and critically ill children from Gaza could save lives if it is implemented immediately.
“With this new scheme, the UK government can relieve the suffering of some of these children, but this needs to be done quickly and at scale. Tragically, some children approved for medical evacuation have died waiting. There is no time to lose.”
Since October 2023, 361 Palestinians have died from malnutrition, including 130 children, and there have been 63,746 fatalities and 161,245 injuries, according to the WHO.
A two-year United Nations investigation found on Wednesday that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Its independent international commission of inquiry said Israel had “flagrantly disregarded international law” and “orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now”.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said: “In Gaza, where the healthcare system has been decimated and hospitals are no longer functioning, there are severely ill children unable to get the medical care they need to survive.
“As we welcome the first group of children to the UK for urgent treatment, their arrival reflects our determined commitment to humanitarian action and the power of international cooperation.
“We continue to call for the protection of medical infrastructure and health workers in Gaza, and for a huge increase in medicines and supplies to be allowed in.”
The government said it would not be providing further details of the treatment or its whereabouts to protect the confidentiality and safety of the patients and their families, who had suffered an “unimaginable ordeal”.
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