Wounded Palestinian child arrives in South Africa for medical treatment

A nine-year-old girl, severely injured in an Israeli bombing in Gaza, arrived in South Africa on Friday for treatment.

The girl, named Mira, will be joined by two other Palestinian children, 17-year-old Lina and one-year-old Sanad, who were also wounded by Israeli bombs and will receive medical care.

Mira was greeted by a crowd at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, near the private hospital where the children will be treated for complex fractures and burns and receive psychosocial support.

Eight companions, including parents and siblings, will accompany them.

The evacuation of these Palestinian children marks the first time that minors wounded in the war in Gaza have been brought to South Africa, a feat made possible by the US-based organisation Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF).

Since January, PCRF has coordinated the evacuation of more than 120 Palestinian children from Gaza to the US, as well as to various countries in the Middle East and Europe.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the South African community for their invaluable support in making this mission possible,” said Tareq Hailat, head of PCRF’s Treatment Abroad Program.

“We are committed to expanding this crucial effort, as many more children in Gaza remain in urgent need of medical attention.”

Since October 2023, approximately 5,000 people have been evacuated for medical treatment outside of Gaza, with another 10,000 still awaiting evacuation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said last month.