A 10-year-aged Palestinian girl who lost her arm in an Israeli missile strike on Gaza arrived at Heathrow airport on Tuesday to commence specialist medical treatment in the United Kingdom. Mariam Sabbah was accompanied by her mother, Fatma Salman, and two brothers, where they were greeted by a small gathering of supporters with balloons, bouquets, and gifts.
Mariam’s arrival comes at a critical juncture for medical evacuations from the territory. Although her journey was made possible through privately funded care, the broader effort to move critically ill and injured children out of the conflict zone is facing severe disruptions. The Palestinian girl who lost arm in Israeli missile attack on Gaza arrives in UK as a symbol of both the desperate need for specialized care and the fragile nature of the current humanitarian corridors.
The family’s path to the UK was marked by prolonged uncertainty. They had originally sought treatment in the United States, but remained stuck in limbo in Egypt after the Trump administration halted visitor visas for all Palestinians in August last year. “We’re happy that we’re here, we never thought we would actually be here in the UK,” Salman said, noting that while her children were initially nervous, they became excited by the warm reception.
A Fragile Pathway for Medical Care
Mariam’s injury occurred after a missile struck her family home in Deir al-Balah, leading to the amputation of her arm. Her case highlights a massive gap in the healthcare infrastructure within Gaza. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 11,000 patients have been evacuated from the territory, yet the agency estimates that another 18,500 patients require urgent care that simply does not exist within Gaza.
While the UK government established a formal medical evacuation scheme last year to provide NHS care for injured children, Mariam’s arrival was facilitated by private funding. Her evacuation was supported by the US-based NGO FAJR Global and the UK-based charity Project Pure Hope (PPH). PPH has operated a private evacuation model since 2025, which later served as the blueprint for the official government program.
The welcome party at Heathrow included families previously assisted by PPH and Soad Abuhemaida, 28, who arrived in the UK from Gaza in November as a scholar. “When I heard that there was a girl coming in a few days and she’s going to receive medical care from the UK it really made me feel happy,” Abuhemaida said. “I feel what she’s feeling now because I was in her shoes.”
Systemic Obstacles and the WHO Suspension
The arrival of one child stands in stark contrast to a worsening systemic crisis. On Monday, the WHO announced it would suspend medical evacuations following the death of a contracted worker. This decision has sparked warnings from aid organizations that more preventable deaths will occur as a result of the halt.
Mosab Nasser, co-founder of FAJR Global, emphasized that evacuations had already been severely hindered by the closure of border crossings and regional tensions. “Because of the war on Iran and the closure of all the border crossings with Gaza, evacuations have actually been halted for a long time,” Nasser said. “We haven’t been able to evacuate anyone since the war on Iran.”
The complexity of these evacuations requires a high degree of coordination between the WHO and Israeli authorities. This process is often arduous and slow, making the current suspension a significant blow to those waiting for life-saving interventions.
The Scale of the UK Government’s Commitment
The UK government’s official scheme relies on a priority list provided by the WHO, which is then reviewed by NHS leaders. However, there is a significant discrepancy between the initial goals of the program and the actual number of children treated. While a senior Whitehall source previously indicated that up to 300 seriously ill children could be evacuated, a government spokesperson stated that the number of children evacuated with their immediate families currently stands at 50.
| Category | Details/Figures |
|---|---|
| Total Patients Evacuated (WHO) | 11,000+ |
| Patients Needing Urgent Care in Gaza | ~18,500 |
| UK Gov Scheme: Initial Target | Up to 300 children |
| UK Gov Scheme: Current Total | 50 children |
| Primary Receiving Nations | Egypt, UAE, Qatar, EU, Jordan, Turkey |
Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at Medical Aid for Palestinians, argued that the WHO’s suspension exposes the fragility of these pathways. He called on the UK and other governments to exert meaningful pressure on Israeli authorities to reopen crossings and allow humanitarian agencies to operate at scale. “Without urgent action to uphold international law, we will see more preventable illness and deaths,” Talbot said.
Omar Din, a co-founder of PPH and an NHS primary care healthcare executive, suggested that the UK should expand its efforts, drawing a parallel to the country’s response to the crisis in Ukraine. “I believe it would be great for the UK in its tradition of being a charitable and humanitarian-focused country to do more of this work,” Din said. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t do more of it here.”
Disclaimer: This article provides information on medical evacuations and humanitarian aid for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice.
The future of the UK government’s evacuation scheme remains unclear following the WHO’s suspension of its role in the process. The government has not yet commented on how this will affect the current pipeline of patients. The next critical step will be whether diplomatic pressure can successfully reopen the border crossings and restore the WHO’s operational capacity to identify and prioritize the thousands of children still awaiting care.
We invite readers to share their perspectives on humanitarian corridors and the role of international medical aid in the comments below.
