The second batch of Gaza children arrived at Abu Dhabi airport, heading to hospitals in the UAE, three days after the arrival of the first batch to the UAE.

This comes as part of the initiative by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, to treat a thousand Palestinian children, along with their families, from the Gaza Strip in the country’s hospitals.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the second phase of transporting wounded children from the Gaza Strip to Abu Dhabi airport began, heading to hospitals in the UAE for treatment and healthcare, less than 72 hours after the transfer of the first batch of children and their families to Abu Dhabi airport.

These initiatives embody the UAE’s approach and its historical commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and alleviating the severity of the humanitarian crisis they face, especially the most vulnerable groups, including children who constitute about half of the population of the Gaza Strip (more than a million children). This is in line with the strong fraternal positions of the UAE towards the Palestinians.

The arrival of the first plane came about a month after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, directed urgent aid to the Palestinians with an amount of twenty million dollars through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). This is the third aid within 5 months to UNRWA, which is keen on providing education, healthcare, and social services to Palestinian refugees. It reflects the UAE’s commitment to preserving the right to education for future generations in Palestine.

Heartwarming gestures

The UAE’s humanitarian efforts did not stop at transporting children; its humanity was the driving force behind its efforts. It tried to meet their needs, reassure them, and calm their fears after what they experienced in recent weeks in the Gaza Strip due to continuous Israeli bombardment.

Upon the arrival of the first batch on Saturday, a Palestinian child from the war-torn Gaza carried the burdens of war on the shoulders of a UAE nurse. He found the humanity he had missed in recent days, moved his tears, and released his sobs.

The UAE nurse, received those tears and sobs with an open heart and great hospitality. She tried to calm his fears after what he and others experienced in recent days in the Gaza Strip due to continuous Israeli bombardment.

The UAE nurse overlooked the fatigue and hardship of the journey that began early on Friday and continued until the early hours of Saturday. She sought, with all the means of mercy she possessed, to alleviate the suffering of the wounded child.

The smiles of the medical staff and accompanying individuals did not fade from their faces. Members of the UAE medical staff carried a small child in their arms and kissed him to reassure him and calm his fears after losing his father in the ongoing war in Gaza, while his mother is also receiving treatment in the UAE.

The Palestinian mother experienced the horrors of the Gaza war, lost her husband, and hopes, through her treatment journey in the UAE, to recover for the sake of her family that lost its support.