To: The Foreign Secretary
Direct airlift Gaza's children, the UK must choose to act
We are calling on the foreign secretary to replace the broken Egypt transit route with a direct airlift model for critically ill children from Gaza – as Italy has already done successfully.
Why is this important?
About two years ago, shortly after giving birth to my own baby, I came across the story of a mother in Gaza named Samah Matar. As a new mother, I found it impossible not to see my own child in her sons. I reached out, and we have stayed in contact ever since. Samah's two boys suffer from complete cerebral palsy, requiring specialist neurological care and advanced nutrition unavailable anywhere in Gaza. Since the siege and blockade of aid, both boys deteriorated rapidly.
Italy has airlifted over 180 children to safety across 14+ operations. The UK has a scheme, but it depends on an Egypt route that no longer works, and the government has not updated it. Over 18,000 people are waiting for evacuation from Gaza, including thousands of children. One of them is Amir, a young child with cerebral palsy whose brother Yousef died this year, unable to receive the treatment he needed. The UK has the capacity to act but chooses not to. This is a political choice.
Italy has airlifted over 180 children to safety across 14+ operations. The UK has a scheme, but it depends on an Egypt route that no longer works, and the government has not updated it. Over 18,000 people are waiting for evacuation from Gaza, including thousands of children. One of them is Amir, a young child with cerebral palsy whose brother Yousef died this year, unable to receive the treatment he needed. The UK has the capacity to act but chooses not to. This is a political choice.
