ABU DHABI: The first plane carrying 15 injured children and their families from Gaza arrived in the UAE on Saturday, state news agency (WAM) reported.
The flight was part of an initiative directed by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to receive 1,000 Palestinian children with their families for treatment in UAE hospitals.
Children with severe injuries and burns, as well as young cancer patients, were evacuated from Gaza through the Rafah crossing to get aboard a plane departing from Al-Arish International Airport in Egypt.
Medical teams from UAE hospitals received the children after landing in Abu Dhabi. More groups of injured Palestinians are expected to receive in the coming weeks, according to a statement on WAM.
Maha Barakat, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Health, said UAE’s hospitals have been prepared to provide treatment for injured Palestinian children and their families until they are fully recovered and safe to return home.
Palestinian mother carrying her child arrives in Abu Dhabi after being evacuated from Gaza as part of a humanitarian mission organised by the UAE. (AFP)
Israel’s intense air bombardment and ground operations have killed more than 11,000 people including thousands of children.
The UAE allocated a $20 million humanitarian package and dispatched 51 planes carrying 1,400 tonnes of food, shelter, and medical supplies to Gaza, said Barakat.
The UAE President later issued directives to establish a field hospital in the Gaza Strip, where the main hospitals and medical facilities ran out of service due to the absence of fuel and supplies.
