DaysofPal- More than 100 patients, including children with trauma injuries and chronic diseases, will be evacuated from Gaza on Wednesday in a rare transfer out of the war-torn enclave, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) official.
Along with its partners, the WHO said it would evacuate up to 113 patients on Wednesday, with some traveling to Romania for specialized care and the majority going to the United Arab Emirates.
Data from the United Nations health agency indicates that if it proceeds, it would be the biggest evacuation from Gaza since October 2023. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, expressed optimism that the evacuation would proceed.
The Gaza European Hospital near Khan Yunis is currently treating patients from other hospitals across the Gaza Strip. These patients will be transported to the Karem Abu Salem crossing on Wednesday morning and then flown to the UAE and Romania, according to Peeperkorn, who spoke via video link from Gaza to reporters in Geneva.
Up to 14,000 people in Gaza are awaiting evacuation for medical reasons, with about half having sustained trauma injuries from the war, while the rest are suffering from serious illnesses like cancer.
Less than 5,000 people have been evacuated for medical reasons since the war in Gaza started on October 7, 2023. Only 282 have been able to leave since Israel closed the Rafah border crossing in early May, with about a third of them being children, according to Peeperkorn.
Peeperkorn criticized the “ad hoc” nature of medical evacuations from Gaza, calling for regular, safer access. He underlined the importance of medical corridors, asking for the reopening of a corridor to Egypt and possibly Jordan in addition to the restoration of the conventional referral route to East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
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