Mariam Sabbah, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl, has arrived in the United Kingdom for specialized medical treatment after losing an arm in an Israeli missile strike on her family home in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. Her arrival on Tuesday highlights the ongoing challenges faced by critically injured individuals seeking care outside the besieged territory.
Mariam's journey to the UK was facilitated by privately funded efforts from US-based NGO FAJR Global and UK charity Project Pure Hope (PPH). This occurred while the British government has its own medical evacuation scheme, announced last year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Mariam is among over 11,000 patients evacuated from Gaza. A government spokesperson indicated that 50 children, along with their immediate families, have been evacuated under the official scheme.
The family had initially sought treatment in the United States, but their plans were thwarted when the US administration, under Donald Trump, halted visitor visas for Palestinians in August of the previous year. FAJR Global and PPH's initiative is reported to have served as a blueprint for the UK government's subsequent evacuation program.
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"We never thought we would actually be here in the UK." - Mosab Nasser, co-founder of FAJR Global, commenting on the evacuation.
Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at Medical Aid for Palestinians, has stressed the precariousness of evacuation routes without a genuine ceasefire. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 723 Palestinians have been killed and 1,990 injured in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire, while UN agencies estimate that an additional 18,500 patients require urgent medical care unavailable within Gaza.
Mariam arrived at Heathrow Airport with her mother and two brothers. Her mother, Salman, reportedly told reporters that her children were initially nervous but felt happy and excited once they felt surrounded by support.
