The United Arab Emirates and the World Health Organisation have called for the urgent evacuation of 85 sick and severely injured Palestinians to Abu Dhabi.

The evacuations also include cancer patients in need of extensive treatment, accompanied by 63 family members from Ramon airport in Israel via the Karam Abu Salem crossing.

Head of the Economic, Political, Media and Public Diplomacy Section of the UAE Embassy in Abuja, Saif Alktheeri, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

He said that till date, the UAE had provided not less than 40,000 metric tonnes of crucial aid, including food, relief and medical items, through 8 aid ships, 337 flights, 50 airdrops, and 1,271 trucks.

He said, “The fourth UAE relief ship arrived in Al-Arish this week, marking the eighth shipment of aid, which carried 5,340 metric tonnes of humanitarian supplies and is the largest shipment since the launch of the relief operations.”

He mentioned that the UAE, in partnership with the WHO, made an announcement about the evacuation as part of its unwavering humanitarian commitment to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“This initiative demonstrates the urgent need for humanitarian intervention and reaffirms the UAE’s steadfast commitment to supporting the people of Gaza amidst the catastrophic situation.

“UAE’s various lines of communication continue to facilitate the humanitarian efforts to assist the people of Gaza and extend a helping hand during their time of need,” Mr Alktheeri said.

It quoted Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, in the statement, saying that at such a critical time, the urgency of the mission to evacuate injured Palestinians to Abu Dhabi could not be overstated.

Mr Hashimy said, “This unprecedented route reflects the gravity of the situation and our resolute commitment to alleviating the suffering of the people of the Gaza Strip. To ensure the arrival and distribution of relief through all available means, this includes land, sea and air. This initiative stands as a testament to the UAE’s enduring and historic support for the Palestinian people, guided by our unwavering dedication to providing immediate relief and advancing peace in immense adversity.”

Mr Hashimy restated that, till date, the UAE had welcomed 709 patients from Gaza, along with 787 of their family members, to receive medical treatment.

Also, this followed the directives of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, to provide care for 2,000 injured and cancer patients from Gaza.

“This scale-up in our efforts demonstrates our solidarity with the Palestinian people and our determination to alleviate their suffering and ensure urgent, sustainable, unhindered delivery of aid on a wide scale. We remain resolute in our collaboration with international partners to ensure that our aid reaches those in desperate need,” he added.

The statement quoted the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, saying, “We are thankful to the UAE for supporting the evacuation of the sick and injured people from Gaza to receive urgent care needed.

He said, “We hope this paves the way for the establishment of evacuation corridors via all possible routes, including the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings to Egypt and Jordan, and from there to other countries. We also call for evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to be restored; thousands of sick people are suffering needlessly. Above all, WHO calls for a ceasefire.’’ 

(NAN)