Julia Abu Zeiter, a four-year-old girl from Gaza, faces a rare and life-threatening neurological condition known as alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). Her access to essential medications was severely disrupted during the nine-month conflict in Gaza, putting her health in jeopardy.
Julia and her 21-year-old aunt, Dareen Zeiter, navigated a harrowing journey to safety, eventually being evacuated from Gaza on June 27. They found refuge aboard a floating hospital operated by the United Arab Emirates, anchored off the coast of Arish, Egypt. This temporary sanctuary provided vital medical care to Julia and other Palestinian patients, many of whom are children facing severe conditions like leukemia.
The hospital, which has treated over 2,400 injured Palestinians since February, serves as a poignant reminder of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Dr. Ahmed Mubarak, the hospital director, described Julia as an “invisible victim” of the conflict, caught in the midst of what humanitarian organizations have characterized as deliberate deprivation and the impact of ongoing hostilities.
Julia’s plight underscores the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 38,000 people have been killed in the conflict, leaving much of the enclave in ruins and displacing nearly the entire population of two million people. For Julia, the war not only meant witnessing bombings and displacement but also a critical shortage of medical supplies that exacerbated her condition.
Despite the challenges, Julia’s evacuation was made possible through the efforts of organizations like the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), which facilitated her passage through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel. Her journey highlights the urgent need for international assistance and a cessation of hostilities to address the dire humanitarian situation affecting countless children like Julia in Gaza.
As Julia continues her medical treatment in Abu Dhabi, her story serves as a stark reminder of the impact of conflict on the most vulnerable, urging global attention and action to alleviate the suffering of those caught in war zones.
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