UK lifeline to Gazan children: It must be more than a moment

Liz Harding is Médecins Sans Frontières UK’s Humanitarian Representative.

The destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system is not collateral damage. 

It is a deliberate, man-made disaster, unfolding in real time as Britain and others look on.  The scale of devastation, the systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure, and the denial of life-saving treatment to thousands - it is a humanitarian emergency and a moral outrage. It is a genocide committed by Israel.

Many hospitals have been reduced to rubble, medical staff killed or forced to flee, and patients left to die without access to even the most basic care. 

According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization, by the end of August 2025, 94% of Gaza’s 36 hospitals had been damaged or destroyed. 

Of those that remain, fewer than 14 are partially functional, and none are fully operational. Many are barely able to provide emergency services.

Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, often with little or no warning. Gaza, smaller than the Isle of Wight, now sees 87% of its population crammed into just 12% of its territory, primarily in Al Mawasi, an area no larger than London’s Richmond Park. 

Even so-called “safe zones” are anything but.  

In this context, Britain’s recent decision to evacuate critically ill children for treatment is a vital and commendable act. It offers a lifeline to those who would otherwise face preventable death. 

But it must not be a symbolic gesture or a one-off intervention. Lives are still being lost daily, and this crisis demands more than momentary compassion - it requires sustained, principled leadership.

Race against time

Between July 2024 and August 2025, at least 740 patients – including 137 children – died waiting for permits to leave Gaza. Over 15,600 patients are currently registered for medical evacuation. Bureaucratic and political barriers are costing lives.

At the moment, more than 90% of evacuated patients are sent to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Turkey. Britain has the capacity to lead by example, taking in more patients from this waiting list by establishing a sustainable approach. 

Delays must be avoided at all costs. Every minute of inaction increases the risk of death for children awaiting treatment in Britain.

Britain must reinforce diplomatic engagement to remove obstacles to evacuation, including those imposed by the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which controls exit permits from Gaza. 

Adults must be included in the medivac process from Gaza – adults must not be left behind. 

Decisions about who to evacuate must be made based on clinical need and not on what is politically acceptable. All evacuation, treatment, and care must be publicly funded and delivered through Britain’s National Health Service, guided solely by clinical urgency. 

Biometric data collection must be deferred until arrival in Britain, as it cannot be done in Gaza. Children must be accompanied by family or caregivers, and under no circumstances should they or their relatives be forcibly returned to Gaza or any unsafe location.

Moreover, Britain must use its diplomatic influence to advocate for the restoration of Gaza’s healthcare system. Evacuation is not a substitute for functioning hospitals, trained medical staff, and access to essential medicines within Gaza itself. Attacks on healthcare infrastructure must cease. 

This is not a crisis that can be addressed with short-term interventions or constrained by domestic political timelines or appetites.

It is a test of our collective humanity. Britain must ensure its actions endure for as long as they are needed. Anything less risks turning a lifeline into a fleeting moment.

Lives depend on it.