The first group of seriously ill and injured children from Gaza are due to arrive in the United Kingdom this week to receive treatment on the National Health Service, the Foreign Secretary said on Sunday.
Yvette Cooper said the youngsters had left Gaza and were on their way to the UK after being cared for by medics in a neighbouring country. The children will be flown to specialist hospitals for treatment and, where necessary, accompanied by family members; biometric information is being collected in a third country as part of the processing arrangements.
Ministers have been working with international partners to fast-track medical evacuations for the most critical cases from the war-torn enclave, Cooper said, adding the government was also working to evacuate students who have places at British universities. "It's a lot of diplomatic work in order to help them actually leave Gaza and then also travel through other countries in order to be able to get to the UK," she said. "But that work is underway and I'm determined to make sure that we can do our bit to help those injured families and also to help students get into their courses this autumn."
It is not yet known how many children are in the first group. Previous reporting has suggested the number could be between 30 and 50. The Foreign Office has said it is coordinating with the World Health Organization and international partners to arrange evacuations in the coming days.
The arrivals will mark the first time children from Gaza have been brought to Britain for treatment on the NHS, the government announced last month when it set up a scheme to offer free medical care to those most in need. A small number of children have previously been brought to the UK for treatment by the charity Project Pure Hope, which is operated by volunteer medical professionals.
Israeli government approval for evacuations has been cited as a necessary step by officials involved in the transfers. UK authorities say each case requires complex diplomatic and logistical work, including movement through third countries and medical clearance before flights.
Humanitarian and medical officials have warned that Gaza's health system is under severe strain. Hospitals have been damaged or destroyed and long-term care for children has become increasingly difficult, officials say. UNICEF estimates that more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since 7 October 2023.
Frontline medics working in and around Gaza described desperate conditions. Mandy Blackman, who leads nursing at UK-Med's Al Mawasi field hospital in southern Gaza and is usually based at Kettering General Hospital, told the Daily Mail that shortages of drugs and equipment were acute and that many patients were being discharged into unsafe conditions. "I have been a nurse for 25 years and I have seen more mass casualty here than I have seen in a lifetime in the UK," she said. She added that food scarcity had left some patients surviving on just one meal a day.
Officials have emphasised that the evacuations are prioritised for the most critical cases who cannot receive necessary care in or near Gaza. UK ministers say they will continue to work with international partners to identify priority patients and to arrange the necessary clearances and transport.
The Foreign Office declined further comment beyond confirming ongoing coordination with international agencies and partners to facilitate medical evacuations and support students with UK university placements.