UAE conducts urgent medical evacuation of 188 injured people, family members from Gaza

The 24th evacuation flight has arrived in the United Arab Emirates at dawn on Friday – in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) – carrying 81 injured people and cancer patients from the Gaza Strip, half of whom are children.

The patients departed from Ramon airport in Israel via Karam Abu Salam crossing to receive medical treatment in the country’s hospitals, accompanied by approximately 107 family members.

The urgent evacuation is in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide medical treatment for 1,000 Palestinian children and 1,000 cancer patients from the Gaza Strip in the UAE’s hospitals.

Upon the plane’s arrival, medical teams initiated the process of transferring the critically wounded and injured patients whose cases required immediate medical attention. The remaining cases and family members were transferred to the Emirates Humanitarian City, where they will be staying.

This initiative is part of the UAE’s historic support of the Palestinian people, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to assist the people of Gaza during the ongoing crisis. The UAE’s humanitarian initiatives contribute to mitigating the catastrophic repercussions endured by the residents of the Strip, particularly children, women, and the elderly.

Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Vice Chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, said, “The UAE’s efforts to continuously conduct medical evacuations demonstrate the country’s unwavering commitment to supplying advanced medical treatment for injured Palestinians and contributing humanitarian support during the critical conditions endured by residents in the Strip.”

Al Shamsi reaffirmed that, “The UAE will continue to work extensively alongside international partners and the UN to intensify efforts aimed at alleviating this disaster and humanitarian suffering.”

The UAE has been keen — since the onset of the crisis — on facilitating medical treatment for the injured people and all residents of Gaza through the establishment of the UAE field hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, and the floating hospital ship anchored in Egypt’s Al Arish Port, in addition to supporting hospitals in Gaza by providing medical equipment, medication, and supplies.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, the UAE immediately provided humanitarian assistance and supplies, as well as urgent relief aid to the Gaza Strip. These initiatives demonstrate the UAE’s continued efforts to mitigate the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip at a swift pace and in a coordinated manner to alleviate the negative repercussions of the worsening humanitarian crisis.