The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appreciated the efforts made by the United Arab Emirates in helping the sick and injured in Gaza amid the ongoing violence in the besieged strip.
Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, Representative of the WHO in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, spoke about the same during a virtual press conference held from Gaza with journalists in Geneva.
The WHO in partnership with the UAE, organized a medical evacuation from Gaza to Abu Dhabi, departing from the Ramon Airport in Israel via the Karam Abu Salam crossing. This was the largest evacuation from Gaza since October 23rd and was intended to provide urgent medical care to those injured.
The medical evacuation was reportedly complex and conducted within a very narrow time window, s, comprising 49 women and 48 men. The group comprised patients and those with severe injuries, with half of them injured in the war in Gaza and the other half suffering from chronic diseases.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also lauded the UAE for aiding the evacuation. He said, “We continue to hope that this and other initiatives will show what is possible and make more evacuations happen for more people.”
The UAE has previously evacuated 1,665 patients and their companions in earlier initiatives, bringing the total number of patients and companions to 1,917 with the recent flight. The UAE has also provided over 40,000 tonnes of urgent aid, including food, medical, and relief supplies, via 10 ships, 1,300 trucks, 316 aircraft, as well as 104 airdrops under the Birds of Goodness initiative, through which more than 3,450 tonnes of the aid total were dropped over northern Gaza.
