MPs call on government to bring sick and injured Gaza children to UK

MPs call on government to bring sick and injured Gaza children to UK

A plea has been made by a cross-party group of Members of Parliament to the government, urging them to take immediate action in bringing sick and injured children from Gaza to the UK for necessary medical treatment. In a letter addressed to senior ministers, 96 MPs emphasized the urgency of the situation, highlighting the imminent risk of death faced by children in Gaza. They called for the removal of any barriers hindering the evacuation process and stressed the need for a timeline of evacuations, along with adequate funding to support the operation.

The MPs expressed concerns about the dire state of the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip, which they described as “decimated”. According to the UN charity Unicef, over 50,000 children have been killed or injured since the conflict in Gaza began in October 2023. The letter, spearheaded by Labour MP and GP Dr Simon Opher, emphasized the destruction of essential infrastructure in Gaza and the severe impact of a prolonged blockade on food, water, and medical supplies, exacerbating what they referred to as a medical and humanitarian catastrophe of “horrific proportion”.

Furthermore, the letter called for evacuations to be solely based on clinical necessity and individual case assessment, without being influenced by political, reputational, or financial considerations. It also advocated for the option of asylum or resettlement in the UK for children and their families following the completion of their treatment. The MPs questioned the practicality of conducting biometric checks in advance of evacuations, challenging the Home Office’s previous stance on the matter. The government, however, has stated that plans to evacuate critically ill or injured children from Gaza and provide them with medical treatment in the UK are being expedited and coordinated by a cross-party “taskforce

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