Majd al-Shaghnobi, a 15-year-old boy, has arrived at London’s Heathrow airport to receive treatment for his war injuries. He was injured in February last year when an Israeli tank shell exploded near him in northern Gaza, shattering his jaw bone and injuring his leg. Majd’s medical team will include craniofacial, plastic, and orthodontic surgeons, with hospital bills paid for by private donations.
Majd is the first Gazan child to arrive in the UK for treatment for war injuries, almost two years into a conflict in which more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured. His arrival follows months of work by a group of volunteer medical professionals who came together to set up Project Pure Hope, which helps injured and sick Gazan children get to the UK for treatment.
The UK is home to some of the best pediatric facilities in the world, yet while countries like the US, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and many others have stepped up to help, the UK has yet to do the same, according to Project Pure Hope. Majd’s medical team hopes to give him a face and a jaw that he can use, which will make a big impact on how he lives and on his future.
Majd’s arrival in the UK comes less than a week after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to evacuate more badly injured children, although the government has released few details of the plan. Project Pure Hope has identified 30 critically injured children in Gaza who it hopes to help bring to the UK.
In April, the group of volunteers secured visas for two girls, 13-year-old Rama and five-year-old Ghena, with life-long medical conditions to also have privately funded operations in the UK. They were brought to London after being evacuated to Egypt from Gaza, where they weren’t receiving the treatment they needed.
Rama has put on weight, and Ghena, who was deeply traumatized and withdrawn, is noticeably more playful. Ghena has had laser surgery to relieve the pressure in her left eye, which she was at risk of losing. And Rama has had exploratory surgery for a serious bowel condition. Both girls are doing well, their mothers say.
However, they are sick with worry about family members left behind in Gaza, who are now struggling to feed themselves. UN-backed experts said this week there was mounting evidence that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease is driving a rise in hunger-related deaths among the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza. Majd, who suffered life-changing injuries while out trying to get food for his family, is also worried about his two brothers still in Gaza.
Source link
