Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper recently visited courageous young individuals who were evacuated from Gaza for urgent medical treatment.
One of the children, Mohammed, aged 8, tragically lost his leg in an explosion near his home in Khan Younis four months ago. After receiving initial care in a field hospital in Gaza, he was transported to Amman, Jordan, where he underwent treatment and was fitted with a prosthetic leg. Despite the challenges, Mohammed persevered and can now walk, run, and navigate stairs with his new limb. During the visit at the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Ms. Cooper commended Mohammed’s bravery and encouraged his dream of becoming a police officer like his father.
Additionally, Ms. Cooper interacted with two sisters, Sarraa, 17, and Sara, 15, who sustained serious injuries in a bombing incident in December 2024. The siblings endured a harrowing ordeal, trapped under debris for over an hour before being rescued. Following their evacuation to Jordan in June, Sarraa underwent plastic surgery for facial wounds and eye injuries, while Sara, who was initially paralyzed, now has partial upper body mobility and uses a wheelchair. Dr. Osama Hamed, a surgeon at the hospital, described the dire healthcare situation in Gaza, emphasizing the scarcity of medical supplies and the difficulties faced by healthcare providers.
Concerning the healthcare crisis in Gaza, Ms. Cooper affirmed the UK’s commitment to rebuilding the region’s healthcare infrastructure. She mentioned ongoing discussions with other countries to enhance medical support for Gaza and expressed readiness to facilitate more medical evacuations for treatment in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). The focus remains on not only providing immediate aid but also on restoring and strengthening Gaza’s healthcare system for the long term.