By TOM LAWRENCE, NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:03 BST, 17 September 2025 | Updated: 15:40 BST, 17 September 2025
A group of critically ill and injured children have been flown to the UK along with 50 family members for urgent NHS medical treatment, the Government has announced.The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that it had supported the medical evacuations of 10 'critical' children from Gaza.The Government said that it is working to make sure families receive 'appropriate support' during their stay.More children are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.Hospitals in Gaza have been left in ruins, with long-term care for children all but impossible. The UN charity Unicef estimates more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since October 7, 2023.On Monday it was reported that two children and their families arrived in Scotland from Gaza for treatment.A small number of children have already been brought to the UK for specialist medical care via an initiative by Project Pure Hope, and they are being treated privately. Ministers have been working with international partners to fast-track medical evacuations for the most critical cases from the war-torn enclaveA cross-government taskforce has been working to co-ordinate the evacuation of these children in recent weeks, with officials describing it as a 'complex humanitarian operation'.Officials said that the children and their immediate family members were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan, where they were supported by British Embassy staff and 'robust' security checks were undertaken prior to their arrival into the UK.It comes as the Government said that it is pushing Israel to ensure better protection for healthcare workers and medical infrastructure in Gaza.Health and Social Care secretary Wes Streeting said: 'No one can fail to be distressed by the devastating impact the war has had on the children of Gaza, and I cannot imagine the fear and anguish their families have endured. It is a soul-destroying situation that compels us to act.'Every child deserves the chance to heal, to play, to simply be able to dream again. These young patients have witnessed horrors no child should ever see, but this marks the start of their journey towards recovery.'This reflects the very best of our NHS values - compassion, care and expertise when it matters most.'Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Children are too often the innocent victims of war.'In Gaza, where the healthcare system has been decimated and hospitals are no longer functioning, there are severely ill children unable to get the medical care they need to survive. The Government said that it is working to make sure families recieve 'appropriate support' during their stay'As we welcome the first group of children to the UK for urgent treatment, their arrival reflects our determined commitment to humanitarian action and the power of international co-operation.'We continue to call for the protection of medical infrastructure and health workers in Gaza, and for a huge increase in medicines and supplies to be allowed in.'The Government is grateful to all partners who have assisted this operation, including the World Health Organisation for their support with the evacuation process, the government of Jordan and Royal Jordanian for facilitating safe transit and the UK-Emergency Medical Team and NHS clinical teams for their dedication in providing life-saving medical care to these young patients.'
