The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that it has successfully evacuated 97 patients, including about 50 children, from Gaza to the United Arab Emirates for urgent medical treatment. This operation, the largest of its kind since October 2023, highlights the severe impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Gaza’s healthcare system. The conflict has left only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals partially operational, with the Rafah crossing to Egypt closed since May.
Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, emphasized the urgent need for regular medical transfers and organized corridors to address the ongoing crisis. The patients, who required treatment for cancer, blood and kidney diseases, and trauma, were transported via road and air from Israel’s Ramon airport.
In addition to the evacuation, the WHO reported significant progress in a polio vaccination campaign, with over 500,000 children vaccinated in Gaza. This campaign follows the emergence of the first polio case in Gaza in 25 years. However, the organization also noted that a substantial portion of Palestinians injured in the conflict—about 22,500—will require long-term rehabilitation for life-changing injuries.
The WHO has called for better-organized and sustained medical transfer systems to support the thousands of Gazans awaiting evacuation.
