Tánaiste and Minister for Health confirm successful medical evacuation of sick children from Gaza for healthcare treatment in Ireland
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From: Department of Health; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Published on: 6 May 2025
- Last updated on: 6 May 2025
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, and Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, have today confirmed the arrival in Ireland of the second group of Palestinian children to receive healthcare treatment here. Government approval was secured in September 2024 for Ireland to evacuate a number of sick children from Gaza for treatment and care, following an appeal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to address the current health needs of people from Gaza.
Doctors from Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) worked with the World Health Organisation to identify sick and injured children who would benefit from treatment in Ireland. Four children arrived in Dublin on Monday evening accompanied by immediate family members. The group travelled from Egypt on a plane provided by the Norwegian Government for the medical evacuation and were accompanied by two doctors and two nurses from CHI, three Irish Red Cross case workers and a translator. The group were welcomed to Ireland by Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Ambassador of Egypt, Mohamed Sarwat Selim and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the State of Palestine, Mr. Baker M.B. Hijazi. The group are being settled into their accommodation and will have a full medical assessment over the coming week.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, said:
“I am delighted that a second group of children from Gaza have been able to travel to Ireland to access urgent medical care. These children have lived through hell for a significant chunk of their lives. It is difficult to imagine the suffering they have experienced. I am proud that Ireland is able to offer them medical assistance, and I thank our doctors and nurses for the care they will provide.
“This medical evacuation has required the efforts of numerous government departments, including Ireland’s embassy team in Cairo, as well as the World Health Organisation, the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism and the Governments of Norway and Egypt.
“While this is positive news, we must keep our focus on the urgent need to stop the conflict. Gaza has received no humanitarian or commercial supplies for many weeks as a result of the Israeli blockade. The resumption of hostilities has been disastrous, and I urge the parties to return to talks to ensure an immediate ceasefire, allow for unimpeded access of humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages.”
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, said:
“I’m pleased that the second medical evacuation of Palestinian children and their carers/guardians to Ireland has now happened, and that the Irish health service is now providing care to these children. I want to offer my sincere thanks to the doctors, nurses, HSE, Irish Red Cross, the Egyptian government, WHO, the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism and the government of Norway, the officials across government departments, and all who have been involved in this successful operation.
“There is no justification for the deliberate attacks on civilians and healthcare services in Gaza and the loss of life has been devastating. Ireland has been clear that this conflict should stop. I’m pleased that Ireland is playing a part in treating children whose lives have been devastated by this needless war, and I wish these children well in their time ahead here in Ireland.”
This effort was made possible through seamless cooperation with the Egyptian government, whose Ministry of Health and Population led the coordination, working closely with the World Health Organisation which coordinated the evacuation of patients from Gaza to Egypt. The Irish team partnered with Italian colleagues, who generously provided access to the Umberto Primo Hospital in Cairo for patient assessments. The EU’s Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) further facilitated the successful transfer of patients from Egypt to Ireland, in partnership with the Government of Norway, demonstrating the power of coordinated international collaboration.
It is estimated that Ireland will receive up to 30 paediatric patients in total from Gaza. Ireland will continue to opt in on a case-by-case basis for each child who requires treatment, subject to the necessary capacity being available at that time.
Under this initiative the children and their families are housed in accommodation managed by the Irish Red Cross. The care package being provided includes caseworker and translation services to ensure that the patients and their carers are well looked after and have assistance in accessing all services as needed. In addition, the HSE will provide appropriate psycho-social assessment for both patients and carers. All patients and carers received health screening prior to travel.
Speaking today, Dr Ciaran Browne, HSE National Medical Evacuation Coordinator, said:
"We are delighted that the HSE's second mission to medivac patients from Gaza was successful. The children have already begun treatment and we know the care they will receive at Children’s Health Ireland will make a big difference. We are very grateful for the assistance of Egypt, Norway and the EU to complete this mission.”
Department of Health officials have spent months working on the medical evacuation alongside the HSE, the Irish Red Cross and other government departments, including the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Justice, and Social Protection. In addition, the Embassy of Ireland in Cairo also assisted the medical evacuation, including with logistics and assistance with clearance of identity documents.
Niall O’Keeffe, Head of International and Migration, Irish Red Cross, said:
“The situation for children in Gaza is dire, and especially so for those with medical needs. We are delighted to work alongside the Irish government to welcome these sick children and their families to Ireland so they can access vital medical treatment. The immediate humanitarian supports that the Irish Red Cross will provide will focus on the practical needs of the children and families, including accommodation, transport to medical appointments and other assistance. We have a dedicated team of Arabic-speaking caseworkers who will work closely with them to help them to navigate life in Ireland and access the supports they may need.
“We walk with people from crisis to stability, helping them rebuild their lives. We couldn’t do this without the generosity of the public and our incredible volunteers who give selflessly of their time to organise welcome packs and to drive people to hospital appointments.
“We cannot begin to comprehend the deeply traumatic experiences that these children and their families have lived through. We hope the globally recognised symbol of the Red Cross provides them with comfort and reassurance on their arrival into Ireland.”
The HSE is acting in a central coordination role across all required services/service providers from the patients’ arrival to receiving treatment. The Tánaiste and the Minister for Health would like to note the great support for this initiative from across Government and the HSE medical staff, who have gone above and beyond normal work roles to ensure the success of the project.
The Department of Justice has co-ordinated visa requirements for the children and their carers and families, while the Department of Social Protection is involved in access to welfare and other supports.
Notes
As an EU Member State, Ireland has been asked to respond to this request from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assist in addressing the current health needs in Gaza. Ireland has a strong tradition of providing humanitarian assistance including through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Irish Aid humanitarian and development assistance programmes and the HSE Global Health Programme.
Procedures for medical evacuations to Ireland are well established in the context of the first group who arrived from Gaza in December and previous medical evacuations from Ukraine. Medical evacuation requests are managed through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), with the HSE managing the clinical support of the injured patient and other departments and agencies responding to the ancillary support needs as above.
The services of the EU’s Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) were used for the transfer from Egypt to Ireland and Dublin Airport was the point of arrival.
In April 2024, the World Health Organisation (WHO) requested support from the EU to medically evacuate Palestinian patients to Europe through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Ten states (including Ireland) have offered treatment and/or transport through the UCPM since the initial request.
Since the beginning of the crisis in October 2023, Ireland has provided over €75 million in support to the people of Palestine. Total support since January 2023 is over €87 million. So far in 2025, Ireland has provided €21.6 million in support of the people of Palestine. That includes the payment of €20 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in February. That payment brought Ireland’s support to UNRWA to €58 million since the beginning of 2023. We have also been providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza through other agencies including the World Food Programme and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Society. Ireland’s support also includes the delivery of over 116 tonnes of relief supplies through our rapid response initiative.
Irish Red Cross
Accommodation for the participants will be provided in properties that are managed by the Irish Red Cross and used for their work with migrants and displaced people. These are not properties that would otherwise be on the rental market.
The Irish Red Cross is part of the largest humanitarian movement in the world.