Fourteen Palestinian children leave Gaza to receive cancer treatment in Italy: the humanitarian commitment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A group of fourteen Palestinian children with cancer have left Gaza to receive treatment in Italy. Thanks to the intervention of the Italian Government and the collaboration with Egypt and WHO, the young patients will be welcomed in various Italian hospitals, guaranteeing them the necessary health care.

Yesterday, Wednesday 13 February Fourteen Palestinian children with cancer have left Gaza and will be treated in Italy, within the Italian Government humanitarian assistance programs for the Palestinian populationThe little patients crossed the Rafah border into Egypt and are currently at the Italian Hospital in Cairo, where they underwent the medical examinations necessary for transfer to our country, together with their families.

The request for evacuation from Gaza and the hope for a reception of sick minors in Italy had also been formulated by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa on the occasion of Minister Tajani's visit to Israel last February 6th. At the Minister's instigation, The Farnesina has therefore taken action to allow the children to exit through the Rafah border crossing. – reopened thanks to the European mission EUBAM in which Italy played a fundamental role by sending its Carabinieri – and requesting the flight that will arrive in Rome today.

La The success of the initiative was made possible by the synergy between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Civil Protection, in collaboration with the WHO and the European Civil Protection Mechanism, with the Support from the Egyptian Ministry of Health.

Minister Tajani also thanked his colleague Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar for his role in enabling the evacuations.. The Farnesina had already worked with the Ministry of Defense immediately after the beginning of the war in Gaza to guarantee humanitarian and health assistance to the civilian population.: for several weeks the Italian Navy's Vulcano had been anchored in Egypt to host Palestinian patients on board to be treated in the hospital embarked on the vessel. At that stage Tajani asked for and obtained the collaboration of the government of Qatar, which sent medical personnel to collaborate with the personnel of the Vulcano.

At the end of the health checks, the assignment of each child to a hospital in Italy will be completed.The health facilities currently involved are the Policlinico Regina Margherita in Turin, Policlinico Umberto I in Rome, the hospitals Pope John XXIII of Bergamo, Civil Hospitals of Brescia, Meyer of Florence, Infant Jesus of Rome, Niguarda of Milano and AOU of Padua.

The children will arrive in Italy today on an Air Force flight made available by the Ministry of Defense, which will take care of patients and their families in Egypt. From Rome, Milano and Pisa with the coordination of the Crisis Unit, the children will then be transferred to the assigned hospitals with ambulances made available by the Civil Protection.