By Ashley Cowburn
Copyright mirror
The first group of severely ill children from war-torn Gaza have arrived in the UK for urgent medical treatment at NHS hospitals . The Mirror revealed at the weekend the young patients had been evacuated from the enclave where the healthcare system has been decimated. On Wednesday the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed the children have arrived in the UK along with their immediate families. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that it had supported the medical evacuations of 10 “critical” children from Gaza to the UK. These children were evacuated with 50 companions, they added. It comes after a UN-commissioned inquiry declared this week that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza . And according to Unincef, more than 50,000 children are estimated to have been killed or injured in the territory since October 2023. Keir Starmer announced the medical aid scheme over the summer as the government warned “most hospitals in Gaza are no longer functioning at all”. The PM promised Mirror readers he would act to help injured Palestinian children. He said at the time: “We are urgently accelerating efforts to evacuate children from Gaza who need critical medical assistance – bringing more Palestinian children to the UK for specialist medical treatment.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Wednesday: “Children are too often the innocent victims of war.In Gaza, where the healthcare system has been decimated and hospitals are no longer functioning, there are severely ill children unable to get the medical care they need to survive.” She added: “As we welcome the first group of children to the UK for urgent treatment, their arrival reflects our determined commitment to humanitarian action and the power of international cooperation. We continue to call for the protection of medical infrastructure and health workers in Gaza, and for a huge increase in medicines and supplies to be allowed in.” Officials said that the children and their immediate family members were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan and supported by British Embassy staff in the region. They added “robust” security checks were carried out prior to their arrival into the UK. Health Secretary Wes Streeting added: “No one can fail to be distressed by the devastating impact the war has had on the children of Gaza, and I cannot imagine the fear and anguish their families have endured. It is a soul-destroying situation that compels us to act.” “Every child deserves the chance to heal, to play, to simply be able to dream again. These young patients have witnessed horrors no child should ever see, but this marks the start of their journey towards recovery.” Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “We’re relieved to finally see sick and injured children from Gaza arriving in the UK for treatment and nursing staff across our NHS stand ready to provide the best possible care. We have repeatedly called for children to be brought to safety and this must be just the beginning, with no further delays to evacuations.”
