ABU DHABI: The first plane carrying 15 injured children and their families from Gaza arrived in the UAE on Saturday, Emirates News Agency, or WAM, reported.
The flight was part of an initiative directed by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed to receive 1,000 Palestinian children with their families for treatment in UAE hospitals.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan additionally directed the provision of medical care for 1,000 other Palestinian cancer patients from the Gaza Strip.
The patients are to receive treatment and all necessary healthcare in UAE hospitals.
Children with severe injuries and burns, as well as young cancer patients, were evacuated from Gaza through the Rafah crossing to board a plane departing from Al-Arish International Airport in Egypt.
Medical teams from UAE hospitals received the children after landing in Abu Dhabi. More groups of injured Palestinians are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, according to a statement on WAM.
Palestinian mother carrying her child arrives in Abu Dhabi after being evacuated from Gaza as part of a humanitarian mission organised by the UAE. (AFP)
Maha Barakat, UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for health, said in a statement that UAE’s hospitals have been prepared to provide treatment for injured Palestinian children and their families until they are fully recovered and safe to return home.
Israel’s intense air bombardment and ground operations have killed more than 11,000 people, including thousands of children.
The UAE allocated a $20 million humanitarian package and dispatched 51 planes carrying 1,400 tons of food, shelter, and medical supplies to Gaza, said Barakat.
The UAE president also issued directives to establish a field hospital in the Gaza Strip, where the main hospitals and medical facilities have ceased operating due to the absence of fuel and supplies.
