‘Trapped’: Gaza patients flown to Iraq stuck in administrative limbo | Gaza
Palestinians Stranded in Baghdad Amid Ongoing Medical Crisis
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Nearly two years have passed since Hanin Muhammad, a resident of Gaza, arrived in Baghdad with her sister Sabreen for medical treatment. Sabreen, a kidney transplant recipient, required care that led the pair thousands of miles away from their home in Gaza, where Muhammad has not seen her six children for nearly three years.
“My six children are in Gaza, and I am entering my third year without seeing them,” the 40-year-old Muhammad stated.
The family home in Rafah was destroyed by Israeli forces, forcing her children into makeshift accommodations between Rafah and Khan Younis. Muhammad relies on others to check on her children due to their limited internet access. “I am begging anyone to intervene so we can get back to Egypt, register, and see our children,” she added.
Currently, the Rafah crossing is the only passage available for Palestinians wishing to exit Gaza, a route that opens into Egypt.
Muhammad is among a group of 46 Palestinians evacuated to Iraq, of which 21 are patients and 25 are family escorts. Health authorities indicate that these patients are in critical conditions, with five oncology patients, four suffering from blood disorders, one cardiac patient, and several others wounded in the ongoing conflict that has claimed the lives of nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured over 172,000.
These individuals were airlifted to Baghdad in March 2024 via a military aircraft, arranged in coordination with the Iraqi and Egyptian governments, with a representative from the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo present.
The evacuation underscores a broader medical crisis in Gaza, where over 20,000 patients are waiting to travel abroad for essential treatment. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Ministry of Health’s Information Unit, reported that 1,200 children are currently suffering from spinal cord injuries and paralysis due to the conflict, while approximately 4,000 children need urgent medical care outside Gaza. However, since the Rafah crossing partially reopened in February, only 154 children have been permitted to leave, as heavy restrictions continue to limit access.
Conditions for the evacuees have not proven to be any better in Baghdad. Upon arrival, many had their identification and travel documents confiscated. Muhammad recounted, “When we left Egypt for Iraq, the Iraqi authorities took our identification papers, and we haven’t seen them since.” She added that attempts to retrieve the documents have been met with silence from officials.
For those lacking identification papers, the Palestinian Embassy has issued new passports; however, these remain unstamped by the Iraqi government, rendering them ineffective for travel. This bureaucratic vacuum has left many, like Noor Ibrahim—a companion accompanying her cancer-stricken aunt—unable to return home after what was originally promised as a brief treatment trip.
“I have been engaged for four years, and my fiancé and family are in Gaza,” she explained, expressing the frustration of being stranded far from her loved ones. The confinement. she said, has also taken a toll on her health, as she developed additional complications while caring for her aunt.
Daily life within the Baghdad Medical City complex has become a struggle against deprivation and despair. Many evacuees lack financial support and rely entirely on the hospital for basic necessities, often receiving food that is inedible. Samah Abdul Moati, 65, battling multiple health issues and mourning the loss of her two sons in the conflict, described her situation as dire. “We are surviving on the grace of local well-wishers,” she stated, adding that their primary concern is to reunite with their families in Gaza.
The plight of the evacuees has been further complicated by attempts to raise awareness about their circumstances; protests have led to administrative retaliation, including restrictions on movement within the hospital. “When we demanded our right to travel, hospital management responded by locking down the ward,” Muhammad recounted.
Efforts to address the situation have not yielded substantial results. The Iraqi Ministry of Health has not responded to repeated requests for comments, while a ministry spokesperson characterized the issue as political in nature. “I’m not authorized to talk about it,” said Ruba Falah Hassan, head of public relations for the ministry.
With financial means lacking for commercial transportation and the bureaucratic obstacles remaining, those trapped in Baghdad continue to appeal for assistance from charitable organizations or government entities to facilitate their return to Gaza. “I am asking for a simple human right,” Abdul Moati said. “Open a safe path, facilitate our family reunification, and let me return to my family before it is too late.”
