Majid Shaghnobi, a 15-year-old boy from Gaza, has become the first Gazan child to arrive in the UK for treatment of war injuries. Majid suffered severe injuries when an Israeli tank shell exploded nearby while he was trying to get humanitarian aid in the Kuwaiti area of northern Gaza. The blast shattered his jawbone and injured his leg, leaving him unable to eat or speak like he used to.
“I’m happy to be in England and to get treatment,” Majid said, his eyes beaming as he arrived at London’s Heathrow airport with his mother, brother, and little sister. Majid spent months in hospital in Gaza, breathing through a tracheostomy tube, before being evacuated to Egypt for further medical treatment. Now, he’s in the UK for surgery at Great Ormond Street children’s hospital in London to restore the function of his face.
Majid’s arrival in the UK is a result of months of work by Project Pure Hope, a group of volunteer medical professionals who came together in November 2023 to help injured and sick Gazan children get to the UK for treatment. The organization has identified 30 critically injured children in Gaza who it hopes to help bring to the UK.
“The UK is home to some of the best paediatric facilities in the world, yet while countries like the US, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and many others have stepped up to help, the UK has yet to do the same,” Project Pure Hope says. The group’s co-founder, Omar Din, emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, “Every day of delay risks the lives and futures of children who deserve a chance to live, to recover and to rebuild a life.”
In April, Project Pure Hope secured visas for two girls, 13-year-old Rama and five-year-old Ghena, with life-long medical conditions to have privately funded operations in the UK. They were brought to London after being evacuated to Egypt from Gaza, where they weren’t receiving the treatment they needed. Since arriving in the UK, Rama has put on weight, and Ghena, who was deeply traumatized and withdrawn, is noticeably more playful.
The healthcare system in Gaza has been severely degraded, with hospitals overwhelmed, infrastructure damaged, and medical supplies critically limited. According to Save the Children, at least 21,000 children have sustained war-related injuries, with 25% of them requiring significant rehabilitation support that is inaccessible due to attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers.
Dr. Ana Jeelani, an orthopedic surgeon with Medical Aid for Palestinians, highlighted the challenges in treating children with injuries in Gaza, saying, “When you treat children with injuries, they have growing bones, so if you have an injury to the growing part of your bone, then that part will stop growing.” Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a surgeon with expertise in treating blast injuries in children, added, “Gaza is redefining war injuries. I saw many babies who suffered amputations before learning to walk, which will affect their development as their brain hasn’t picked up proper movement yet.”
Majid’s medical team, led by Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani, a professor of Paediatric Neurosurgery at Great Ormond Street, is optimistic about the outcome of his treatment. “If we’re able to give him a face and a jaw which he can use then it won’t be completely normal, but hopefully he’ll be able to feed himself and speak, and his facial expressions will be better,” Professor Jeelani said. “Hopefully that’s going to make a big impact on how he lives and on his future. Our hope is that we will be able to help many more children like him in the coming months. It’s our collective moral responsibility.”
As Majid begins his journey towards recovery, his story serves as a reminder of the urgent need for medical aid and humanitarian support in Gaza. With thousands of children in need of life-saving treatment, organizations like Project Pure Hope are working tirelessly to provide hope and care to those affected by the conflict.