The young man emerging from a backstreet accommodation block in a bustling corner of east London looks much like any other student, getting to grips with his studies at the start of a new term. But 27-year-old Abdallah carries more of a burden than most. A qualified doctor, he has recently been evacuated from Gaza to begin his studies at Queen Mary University of London on a fully funded, government-backed Chevening scholarship.
As well as his work in hospitals, he has been striving for months on behalf of the dozens of Palestinian scholars like himself who have been stranded in war-torn Gaza awaiting evacuation by the British government to take up places in UK universities.
He wrote letters to the former foreign secretary David Lammy and worked with overseas academics and lawyers to help make the evacuation happen. Now he’s here, he admits to feeling overwhelmed.
“It’s a strange mixture of feelings,” he said. “Being happy, being stressed, sometimes being overwhelmed. Living in Gaza for 27 years, then getting here and being in London, it’s completely shocking. The very basic things here are luxuries in Gaza.”
It’s his first time outside Gaza and at the beginning even shopping was a challenge – after war and famine, such abundance at the local market was overwhelming. Leaving his family in Gaza has been difficult. “I just feel like my head is impacted with very heavy clouds. It’s very hard to think for now.”
After months of uncertainty, rumours and counter-rumours, Abdallah and the 33 other Palestinian scholars who made up the first cohort to leave Gaza for the UK finally touched down on 22 September, after a brief stopover in Jordan to complete visa requirements. A second group have arrived since and more are expected.
He had hoped to have a bit of a break before starting his studies. “I wanted just to have some time to get ready for university, to catch my breath, to explore the city.” There were plans for an induction in London for all the Gaza students to help them settle in but because the evacuation was delayed they were taken straight to their universities.
“By the end of the day, most of the students were calling me and saying ‘OK, we’re in our accommodation, what’s next?’,” said Abdallah. “Like they didn’t have food in their fridge. They wanted to go shopping, they didn’t know how.”
According to Nora Parr, a researcher at Birmingham University who has been coordinating efforts to help the Palestinian students, universities have worked hard to offer support at short notice. “We know that the will to help is there but with little time and in some places less experience with vulnerable scholars, the support has at times fallen short,” Parr said.
An additional problem has been that the late arrival meant some courses were already under way, leaving students such as Abdallah struggling to catch up. “I spent my first days in London just in the library. From the beginning of the day I went to lectures and I spent until 11pm at the library just trying to catch up and to finish the assignment,” he said.
He originally applied to study for an MSc in data science and AI, to help with his ambition to develop digital tools to tackle the mental health catastrophe in Gaza, but because he missed a mandatory module he has been switched to a different course – a decision he is trying to reverse.
“At the end we have to thank the government for doing this, because it comes as a step in rebuilding Palestine, because we now need to invest in the humans of Gaza. I just wish that the students got a better induction to the UK than what they got,” he said.
“I think they are fine. They start getting used to the area where they are living. They’ve started their courses, using transport, buses, those things. I just feel if there’s more support and more information provided, it might be easier.”
Soha, a 31-year-old midwife from Gaza, campaigned with Abdallah for the students to be evacuated. Now she is studying for a PhD in nursing at Ulster University in Belfast. She too has had a mixture of “positive and challenging” experiences since arriving in the UK.
“Life here is very different from what I was used to, but I’m slowly getting used to it,” she said. “On the positive side, people are generally kind and helpful. I enjoy the calm atmosphere and how things are organised. I like walking around the city and exploring new places, and I feel safe going out on my own.
“The most difficult part has been being away from my family, especially with everything happening in Gaza. It’s hard to focus sometimes when my mind is with them. I feel like my soul is still in Gaza.
“Leaving was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make but I knew it was something I had to do, not only for my own dream but for every woman and health worker who remains in Gaza, and for the hope of rebuilding and improving maternity services there. It was a choice made with purpose and love.
“Belfast, however, is growing on me quickly,” Soha added. She has got used to the accent and is becoming comfortable with the different rhythm of life. “My interactions with the local people have been truly heartwarming and I’ve felt genuine kindness and welcome.
“My life in Gaza before the war was truly a blessing. I had a fulfilling career that I was proud of, and I was surrounded by friends and family whom I love more than anything. But the war has taken my best friend of 15 years, Reem, one of the most ambitious and kind-hearted people anyone could ever know. I know that if she were still here, she would be going around proudly bragging about her best friend making it to the UK to begin her studies.
“Life in Gaza during the war often felt like being trapped in a loop, repeating the same day over and over for two years. The constant fear wasn’t just for my own life but for the lives of those I care about, and that fear continues to weigh heavily on all Gazans, draining us emotionally and mentally.
“While I am thankful and deeply appreciative for this opportunity, there are still many students and visiting researchers in Gaza who have the potential to contribute greatly to the future of Gaza and the world,” Soha said. “Please don’t leave them behind.”
