WHO: 85 Patients Leave Gaza in Biggest Medical Evacuation Since War Began

A man holds the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Mosul, Iraq, October 14, 2023. (Reuters)
A man holds the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Mosul, Iraq, October 14, 2023. (Reuters)
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WHO: 85 Patients Leave Gaza in Biggest Medical Evacuation Since War Began

A man holds the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Mosul, Iraq, October 14, 2023. (Reuters)
A man holds the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Mosul, Iraq, October 14, 2023. (Reuters)

The WHO said 85 patients had been evacuated Tuesday from Gaza to the United Arab Emirates, in the largest medical evacuation from the Palestinian territory since the war began in October.

The World Health Organization said the sick and severely injured patients evacuated to the Gulf country comprised 35 children and 50 adults, who were accompanied by 63 family members and caregivers.

The UN's health agency confirmed to AFP it was the largest number of patients that have been transferred from the Gaza Strip in a single operation since the war began.

They were transferred from Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel, and then to Ramon Airport near Eilat in southern Israel, from where they were flown to Abu Dhabi.

"Fifty-three patients have cancer, including four children; 20 have trauma injuries; three have blood diseases, including thalassemia; three have congenital conditions; two have fanconi anaemia; one has a neurological condition; one has cardiac disease; one has liver disease; and one has renal failure," the WHO said.

The patients were collected from several locations and field hospitals across Gaza.

The evacuation was postponed from Monday and took place under "extremely challenging conditions" amid insecurity and damaged roads, the WHO said.

The agency provided wheelchairs to ensure patients could switch buses safely at Kerem Shalom, and medical professionals went with the patients within Gaza and en route to the airport.

"We are thankful to the UAE for supporting the evacuation of these patients to receive the urgent care they need," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"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, and as always, we call for a ceasefire."

Since October, around 5,000 people have been evacuated for treatment outside Gaza, with more than 80 percent of those receiving care in Egypt, Qatar and the UAE.

However, more than 10,000 others in Gaza still need medical evacuation, the WHO said.

The WHO's Eastern Mediterranean regional director Hanan Balkhy called on more countries in the Middle East to give Gazan evacuees lifesaving care.

"Support to people in the region must start from the region," she said.



Egypt, Chad Agree on Backing Efforts to Achieve Ceasefire in Sudan

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received on Tuesday Chad President Mahamat Idriss Déby in New Alamein City (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received on Tuesday Chad President Mahamat Idriss Déby in New Alamein City (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt, Chad Agree on Backing Efforts to Achieve Ceasefire in Sudan

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received on Tuesday Chad President Mahamat Idriss Déby in New Alamein City (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received on Tuesday Chad President Mahamat Idriss Déby in New Alamein City (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt and Chad on Tuesday agreed on the necessity of supporting efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Sudan where the people suffer from an ongoing conflict and an exacerbating humanitarian crisis that requires urgent intervention.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received Chad President Mahamat Idriss Déby in New Alamein City where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency.
Sisi emphasized the deep and longstanding historical relations between the two countries and their peoples.
He then reiterated Egypt's commitment to providing full support to Chad across various fields, including the transfer and sharing of Egyptian expertise in building the capacities of Chad in different developmental sectors such as energy, infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, and livestock.
This is in addition to cooperating in the areas of security and counter-terrorism, in light of Egypt’s keenness to ensure Chad’s security and stability.
For his part, Déby highlighted a mutual will to achieve significant advancement in bilateral cooperation across sectors.
He also valued the role of active Egyptian institutions and companies in Chad, particularly in supporting Chadian educational and cultural processes, infrastructure projects, and the activities of Al-Azhar mission in Chad.
The two presidents agreed to activate the work of the joint committee between the two countries to implement the agreed-upon matters and to accelerate the implementation of joint cooperation projects in a manner that serves the interests of both countries.
The meeting covered a number of African matters of mutual interest, notably the developments in Sudan, security in the Sahel region, and the enhancement of coordination regarding the role of the Community of Sahel–Saharan States.

“The two leaders agreed on the necessity of supporting efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Sudan, so as to uphold the higher interests of the Sudanese people, who are suffering from the ongoing conflict and the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis that requires urgent intervention,” Presidential spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.
They also affirmed their countries' support for all efforts to achieve stability in Libya and to bolster security in the Sahel region in confronting the continuing terrorist threats, Fahmy added.