Major Medical Evacuation from Gaza to UAE: 85 Patients Receive Specialized Care

Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, expressed profound gratitude to the UAE for its role in this lifesaving initiative.

Today, a significant medical evacuation took place as 85 critically ill and severely injured patients from Gaza were transported to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for urgent specialized treatment. This operation, the largest medical evacuation from Gaza since October 2023, was a collaborative effort supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the UAE Government, and other key partners.

Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, expressed profound gratitude to the UAE for its role in this lifesaving initiative. "This initiative is a clear demonstration of the intra-regional solidarity that is urgently needed. Support to people in the Region must start from the Region," Balkhy said. She emphasized the continued risk faced by thousands in Gaza without access to advanced medical care and urged member states to assist in receiving and treating more patients.

The evacuated patients include 35 children and 50 adults with various medical conditions. These include cancer (53 patients, including 4 children), trauma injuries (20 patients), blood diseases such as thalassemia (3 patients), congenital conditions (3 patients), Fanconi anemia (2 patients), neurological, cardiac, liver, and renal conditions. Sixty-three family members and caregivers accompanied the patients.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the UAE's support and highlighted the need for establishing evacuation corridors via multiple routes, including the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings to Egypt and Jordan. He also called for the restoration of evacuations to the West Bank and East Jerusalem and reiterated the call for a ceasefire.

Originally scheduled for July 29, the evacuation was delayed, which added complexity to the operation and strained resources. Despite damaged infrastructure and safety risks, the WHO team successfully coordinated the transfer of patients under challenging conditions. Prior to the main evacuation, nine patients were stabilized at the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) field hospital in Deir al-Balah, with other patients being relocated from several areas.

During the evacuation, WHO facilitated the transfer by providing wheelchairs, food, water, and medical care throughout the journey from Gaza to the airport. The process involved back-to-back transfers at Kerem Shalom, with buses organized by WHO to transport patients to the airport.

Additional support came from emergency medical teams Cadus, International Medical Corps, MSF Belgium, and PRCS. Since October 2023, approximately 5,000 people have been evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment, with over 80% receiving care in Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE. Efforts have also included evacuations to Spain and Belgium from Cairo.

WHO continues to call on the international community to enhance efforts for safe, sustained, and organized medical evacuations to address the urgent needs of those in Gaza.