Foreign Secretary urged to green-light medical evacuation flight for 50 sick and injured children out of Gaza
14 February 2024, 07:08
The Foreign Secretary is being urged to green-light a charity's attempt to fly sick and injured children from Gaza to Britain to receive specialist treatment, LBC has learned.
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Save A Child wants to run an evacuation flight out of the Middle East, carrying around 50 children who urgently need medical attention.
The charity has "a network of consultant paediatric surgeons in the UK on standby to help".
Save A Child hopes the children could be eligible to arrive here under temporary visa arrangements before being returned to Gaza after receiving treatment.
But head of the charity Sally Becker told LBC that special permissions need to be granted by UK Government officials - and has called on Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron to step in and help.
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"Prior to the war children who were suffering from life-threatening illness were able to go to Israel for medical treatment," she said.
"But after October 7 that became impossible because the borders were closed.
"And I was getting several calls asking for help, not just for cancer patients, but also for children with severe injuries who require specialist treatment which isn't available now in Gaza because of the situation.
"So I contacted some of the paediatric surgeons in our network and they really want to help.
"But before we can do anything, we need permission from the UK Government.
"In order to bring them here I need Lord Cameron to approve the mission. To offer his help".
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was approached for comment.
