UK Faces Legal Challenge Over Refusal to Evacuate Sick Children from Gaza

London (Quds News Network)- The UK government is facing a legal challenge over its decision not to medically evacuate critically ill children from Gaza amid the Israeli genocide like what they have done for young people caught up in other wars.

Three critically ill children in Gaza took legal action against the Foreign Office and Home Office, saying UK ministers have failed to take into account the lack of treatment options for children in the territory before denying medical evacuations, according to the Guardian, adding the position not to medically evacuate children from Gaza stands in stark contrast to Britain’s historical record in such circumstances, which has evacuated children during the conflict in Bosnia and, most recently, Ukraine.

“The UK government has explained its failure to facilitate medical evacuations from Gaza on the basis that it supports treatment options in Gaza and the surrounding region and that there are visas available for privately funded medical treatment in the UK. However, these mechanisms are profoundly inadequate to meet the urgent needs of children in Gaza,” said Carolin Ott from the law firm Leigh Day, who is leading the action and is being supported by the charity Children Not Numbers.

The families of the three children, aged two and five, have said an urgent evacuation is needed for critical medication and treatment they are unable to access in Gaza. To date, the UK has yet to offer itself as a receiving state for medical evacuations from Gaza, and campaigners have been pushing for a separate immigration route.

The two-year-old, referred to as Child Y, has an arteriovenous malformation in his cheek which causes daily bleeding and has left him in critical condition.

The other children, two siblings referred to as Child S, have been diagnosed with cystinosis nephropathy, a chronic condition also known as leaky kidney. They have already developed kidney failure and may need transplants. One of the siblings is no longer able to move.

According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that as many as 12,500 patients in Gaza require medical evacuation. As of 10 April, 7,229 patients have been evacuated to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the EU and the US. Of these patients, 4,984 have been children.

However, organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières, which has evacuated 22 patients, have called on more nations to help, as the limited destinations remain a challenge, said Dr Hani Isleem, MSF project coordinator for medical evacuations from Gaza.

“Some countries are reluctant to take in patients, fearing they might be perceived as facilitating ‘forced migration’ or as taking on the burden of the patients’ extended stay,” he said.

The government has until 28 July to respond to the pre-action letter.