Reports detail limited medical evacuations from Gaza to Europe; Croatia has received none for specialized care.
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Croatia has not received any individuals or children requiring specialized medical assistance being evacuated from Gaza by the World Health Organization (WHO), nor have some large countries like Germany accepted anyone in critical health condition from Gaza. The European Union has collectively received only 400 people, with Italy receiving half of that; over 15,000 more people, including 3,800 children, require urgent evacuation. WHO regional director for Europe Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge stated that it is not too late to help and every saved life is a victory for humanity. As of the end of October, EU countries have received 397 patients from Gaza, with Italy receiving the most (201), followed by Spain (65), Romania (48), France (27), and Ireland (21). Croatian health authorities stated they are ready to participate in activities supporting vulnerable groups but referred questions about Croatia’s involvement in evacuations to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, which had not responded. Doctors Without Borders described medical evacuations from Gaza as a “drop in the ocean” compared to those needing better care elsewhere, noting that evacuations for severely injured and ill have slowed despite the critical situation and ceasefire. WHO has evacuated over 7,000 patients since October 2023 and estimates over 15,600 still need urgent evacuation, including 3,800 children. Egypt received the most Gazans needing treatment by September 10th (3,995), followed by the UAE (1,450), Qatar (970), Turkey (437), and Jordan (253). Dr. Kluge emphasized that health should never be a target of war. While EU countries have shown limited humanitarianism, Italy received half of the documented cases since late October, with over 840 people arriving via medical and humanitarian transfers in the last two months. Spain approved an emergency declaration to provide services for people from the conflict in Gaza. Ireland committed to receiving 30 severely injured children from Gaza under a WHO mechanism, having already received 20. The process of selecting pediatric patients is managed by HSE and CHI based on WHO lists, prioritizing conditions like cancer, hemodialysis, and severe trauma. WHO continues to advocate for increased evacuations dependent on host countries’ capacity and safe transport. Doctors Without Borders highlighted that many patients die while awaiting evacuation, citing cases where registered patients died before being evacuated. The organization also noted some countries appear to be treating the situation as a shopping list, focusing only on children despite them making up only a quarter of those listed for evacuation. Separately, an initiative stated that Croatia has not organized medical evacuations for injured people in Gaza and has only received 25 Croatian citizens and family members, noting that Croatia supports policies denying genocide and does not recognize Palestinian statehood, leading to close diplomatic and cultural cooperation with Israel.
