How many patients need medical evacuation from Gaza?

Tens of thousands of Gazans need medical evacuation, with over 16,500 patients estimated to still require treatment outside the territory.

What challenges face Gaza medical evacuations?

The pace of evacuations has slowed significantly, many countries focus only on children, and bureaucratic processes delay aid for adults.

Has the number of Gaza medical evacuation refusals decreased?

Yes, Israeli evacuation refusals have dropped to around five percent recently, but any refusal for patients needing treatment is still problematic.

Home / War and Conflict / Gaza Medical Evacuations Face Crisis: Thousands Wait for Aid

Gaza Medical Evacuations Face Crisis: Thousands Wait for Aid

3 Dec

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Summary

Tens of thousands of Gazans need emergency medical evacuation.
Over 900 patients have died waiting for evacuation since October 2023.
Many countries prioritize evacuating children, ignoring urgent adult needs.

Gaza Medical Evacuations Face Crisis: Thousands Wait for Aid

Hani Isleem of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has issued a stark appeal for international assistance, highlighting the immense need for medical evacuations from Gaza. He revealed that tens of thousands of patients require urgent treatment outside the Palestinian territory, with an estimated over 900 having already succumbed while awaiting evacuation since October 2023. Isleem stressed that the current number of evacuations is a mere fraction of the overwhelming need.

The rate of medical evacuations has significantly decreased, plummeting from an average of 1,500 patients per month to approximately 70 since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024. Despite a sharp decline in Israeli evacuation refusals, the process remains slow and heavily politicized. Isleem criticized countries for their "selection shopping list" approach, noting that 99.9% of requests are for children, while adults who constitute three-quarters of those needing evacuation are largely ignored.