UAE flies in 13th group of Palestinian patients

The thirteenth group of wounded Palestinian children and cancer patients have arrived in the UAE to receive medical treatment.

The group of 98 patients, including 40 children with severe injuries and burns, and 58 members of their family were evacuated from Gaza and transported to Al Arish Airport in Egypt.

They were flown to the Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide medical treatment for 1,000 injured children and 1,000 cancer patients from the Gaza Strip in the UAE hospitals.

The critical cases were immediately transferred to hospitals, while the other patients were transferred to the Emirates Humanitarian City.

It brings the total number of Palestinian patients receiving health care in the UAE since the first group arrived last November to 1,154.

This initiative is part of the UAE's ongoing multi-level efforts to provide relief to Palestinians and to strengthen the response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Since the outbreak of the war, the UAE has stepped up efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians under Operation 'Gallant Knight 3'.

The UAE also established a 150-bed field hospital in Gaza and a floating hospital in Al Arish, in addition to providing the hospitals in the Gaza Strip with ambulances, equipment, medicines and medical supplies.

Additionally, six desalination plants were set up in Egypt's Rafah to address the dire water infrastructure situation in Gaza, providing 1.2 million gallons of water per day into Gaza.

Meanwhile, the UAE University has welcomed 33 students from Gaza under the UAE government's sponsorship. The Emirates Humanitarian City also has nursery for young children, and specialised programmes for school and university education so that the Palestinian students can continue their academic studies. 

Patients and their caregivers are also provided with mental health care, helping them to cope with the trauma suffered during the conflict.