In brief
In a poignant report, the BBC follows the emotional evacuation of 33 sick children and their guardians from Gaza to Jordan for essential medical care. Amid ongoing violence and severe living conditions in Gaza, these children carry hope for a better future as they arrive to receive treatment.
With the warm glow of the setting sun illuminating the landscape, a helicopter airlifted evacuees, including children from Gaza, towards safety in Jordan. Among them was Safa'a Salha, a mother who expressed her awe for her new surroundings via text, stating, “Jordan is so beautiful.” The road to recovery began as the group made their way to the Jordanian border by ambulance before being airlifted to Amman.Amidst the sound of the helicopter, Safa'a shared that the aircraft, once a source of fear, now symbolized hope. Her son, Youssef, who bore scars from past surgeries, looked forward to the future, engaging in conversation about football and feeling gratitude for this opportunity.The journey also included nine-year-old Sama Awad, frightened and frail, who was set for surgery to treat her brain tumor. Her mother, Isra, conveyed their desperate hopes for better medical care in Jordan, while painting a grim picture of life back in Gaza. "It is horrible... but people are just trying to get on with living,” she disclosed.The evacuation included 33 children and their accompanying guardians, facilitated by an arrangement initiated during discussions between US President Donald Trump and Jordan's King Hussein. Despite a stated goal to treat 2,000 sick children, so far only a small fraction have been evacuated due to restrictions and ongoing conflicts. Recent communications from Cogat, the Israeli government authority, highlighted an uptick in medical evacuations, yet challenges remain amid violence.Reports indicate that Gaza's circumstances are dire, with the UN warning of imminent famine threats to a population of over 2 million. Israeli blockades exacerbate the already critical humanitarian crisis, with calls for urgent UN intervention to avert further tragedy.In Amman, the evacuated children will begin their healing process alongside peers enduring similar medical struggles. The case of Habiba Al-Askari, who underwent a triple amputation due to severe infections, reflects both the pain and resilience found in these young survivors. As her mother Rana clings to hope for Habiba's recovery, they face the prospect of returning to a devastated Gaza. "Gaza is beautiful… it will always be the most precious," she affirmed, representing a yearning for peace amidst uncertainty. As these children embark on a new chapter, their fate and the condition of their homeland remain tragically intertwined.
