Gaza children face shrinking medical access and funding crisis
Save the Children warns evacuations have fallen 75 percent while support centre in Cairo faces possible closure next year
CAIRO, Egypt (MNTV) — Palestinian children requiring life-saving medical treatment are increasingly trapped inside Gaza as medical evacuations decline and humanitarian services supporting displaced families in Egypt face the threat of funding cuts, Save the Children has warned.
According to the organization, only 1,010 children were medically evacuated from Gaza between October 7, 2025, and October 6, 2026, compared with 4,163 during the first year of the war. The decline represents a reduction of approximately 76 percent from the first-year figure.
The World Health Organization’s figures, cited by Save the Children, indicate that nearly 14,000 Palestinians have been evacuated for medical treatment since the war began in October 2023.
Almost two-thirds, or 8,940 people, were transferred to Egypt. Gaza’s Health Ministry has said approximately 21,000 people, including many children, remain awaiting evacuation.
For Palestinians who reach Egypt, the consequences of prolonged war, displacement and disrupted healthcare remain severe.
Save the Children staff report that children arrive experiencing psychological distress, anxiety about food, speech difficulties, aggression and other trauma-related problems.
In Cairo, the organization operates a child-friendly space known as “Little Gaza,” serving approximately 750 Palestinian children and their family members.
The facility provides support intended to help children recover emotionally and regain a sense of safety after experiencing war and displacement.
However, the organization says demand substantially exceeds available capacity, with nearly 5,000 people on its waiting list.
Without urgent and sustained funding, the services could close in 2027, leaving vulnerable children with fewer opportunities for psychosocial support and safe activities.
Save the Children has also criticized continuing Israeli restrictions on humanitarian and commercial access to Gaza, arguing that they obstruct recovery and contribute to worsening living conditions.
The organization says Israeli military activity continues despite the ceasefire framework, while Gaza’s health system remains severely damaged.
The group has called for sustained donor funding, expanded access to specialized medical treatment and reopening of medical routes to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
It has also urged international actors to protect the right of Palestinians evacuated for treatment to return home.
The organization says Gaza’s recovery must be Palestinian-led, with local communities, civil society and children involved in decisions about reconstruction.
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