A two-year-old Palestinian toddler, Habiba al-Askari, has finally arrived in Jordan to receive critical medical treatment after facing significant delays in leaving Gaza. Habiba, who suffers from protein C deficiency, a rare genetic condition causing excessive blood clotting, was initially approved for treatment abroad by Israel but faced obstacles in obtaining permission for medical evacuation.
The besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza has been grappling with a paralyzed medical system due to over 15 months of siege and bombardment by Israel, making it challenging for children like Habiba to access life-saving care.
After a report on Habiba's condition last month, Jordan intervened to evacuate her to Amman for urgent medical treatment. However, the mission faced delays as Israeli authorities initially denied authorization for her evacuation and later postponed the process, causing distress to Habiba's family.
Despite the challenges, Jordanian officials worked tirelessly to secure approval for Habiba, her mother, and her brother to leave Gaza for medical treatment. The family's journey involved a transfer through Israel to Jordan, where they were met by a medical team and transported to a hospital in Amman.
COGAT, the Israeli aid agency, confirmed the approval for Habiba's departure, emphasizing that such medical evacuations are subject to security reviews before entry into Israel's territory. The mission to evacuate Habiba highlighted the difficulties faced by Palestinians in accessing medical care amid the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
While Habiba's successful evacuation brings hope for her recovery, thousands of other children in Gaza are still in need of urgent medical evacuation. Humanitarian organizations stress the challenges in navigating the process for facilitating medical evacuations from Gaza, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of securing lifesaving treatment for those in need.
