Gazans are to receive extra UK-funded medical support to help address their dire humanitarian situation, Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer has today confirmed.
This £7.5m package of support includes a £1 million allocation to the World Health Organization (WHO) Egypt to support the Egyptian government in delivering treatment to Gazans who have been medically evacuated. The funding will ensure vital medical supplies, such as rehabilitative equipment and medication, reach medically evacuated Gazans receiving treatment in Egypt. This builds on £1 million announced in October for similar support.
Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said: “Gazans continue to face immense suffering, with a dire humanitarian crisis worsening and a healthcare system close to collapse. Israel must let them receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip to receive treatment.
“We are committed to providing lifesaving support to Gaza and this support will ensure thousands of civilians have access to critical healthcare in the region.
“The UK continues to push for a return to a ceasefire and for negotiations to bring an end to the conflict, free the hostages and help secure long-term peace.”
Dr. Nima Saad, WHO Representative to Egypt said: “Egypt has received the highest number of medical evacuees from Gaza for specialized medical treatment. The Egyptian government is providing healthcare services to Palestinians on par with Egyptian citizens across 170 hospitals in 24 governorates around the country. We deeply value our longstanding partnership with the UK and welcome the additional funding of a £1 million to continue our efforts in supporting the Ministry of Health and Population to ensure that the patients and injured people from Gaza receive the lifesaving healthcare they need. Ultimately, the best medicine is peace. WHO reiterates its call for the protection of health care in Gaza, the lifting of the aid blockade and – above all – a ceasefire.”
The UK will also provide £1.5m in additional funding for UK-Med to help sustain their field hospital operations. UK-Med staff deliver life and limb-saving healthcare and they have treated over 410,000 patients in Gaza since the start of the conflict.
Alongside bolstering the UK’s medical support for Gaza, Minister Falconer also announced additional funding for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) Humanitarian Fund. £5m has gone towards UN-supported projects which are providing vital health and water, sanitation and hygiene services for civilians in Gaza, as well as food, protection and emergency shelter.
This announcement comes as two children from Gaza have begun privately-funded medical treatment in the UK following an initiative led by the organisation Project Pure Hope which brings together clinicians and charity leaders to help children affected by the Middle East conflict. Project Pure Hope has funded the scheme in its entirety, while the UK government has provided support.
British Ambassador to Egypt, Gareth Bayley said: “Egypt has played a crucial role in helping those most in need from Gaza, and the UK is proud to stand alongside our Egyptian partners and the WHO in this life-saving work. Whether it’s funding medical care in Egypt or supporting treatment for patients who have now arrived in the UK, our shared commitment is clear: to ensure the wounded and vulnerable get the care they urgently need.”
The UK is committed to alleviating Palestinian suffering and helping to build stability and security in the Middle East. In the last financial year, the UK provided £129m to the OPTs, to ensure civilians in Gaza have access to healthcare.
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