Iraqi children flown to UAE for treatment

A fourth batch of Iraqi children has arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to seek treatment for a number of injuries, some life-threatening, which are the direct or indirect result of the US-led occupation of Iraq, specialists said.

“In this group, there are 55 children. Overall, we have brought a total of 111 children to the UAE since the war in Iraq began,” said Dr Saleh al-Ta’ei, head of Rescue and Emergency at the Red Crescent Society in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE. Another 350 children, mostly from Baghdad and Mosul, are on a waiting list to come to the UAE at a later date.

As the children came from different cities in war-torn Iraq, the logistics of evacuating them was a difficult task.

“We enlisted the help of international organisations, such as UNICEF, and the Iraqi Red Crescent Society and local humanitarian groups,” said al-Ta’ei. However, he added that many obstacles arose as arrangements took place.

Al-Ta’ei said that it took about a month to prepare travel documents for the children and their parents or caregivers. “This was frustrating as many of the cases that came to the UAE required immediate attention, like the case of a newly born baby with first-degree burns,” al-Ta’ei said.

Arranging transportation to Baghdad airport also proved difficult. “The children come from different cities so we had to arrange to bring them to Baghdad three to four days earlier [to ensure they were all there before departure to the UAE]. Then, the children were transferred to Baghdad airport the night before departure.”

This process required a great deal of preparation as the injured children had to be provided with food, pain killers and other facilities while they waited for their flights in the airport.

War-related problems

“Most of these cases are directly or indirectly war-related,” said Dr Khaled al-Jaberi, Medical Director at Al Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi, where most of the children are being treated. “These children are most affected psychologically as they were caught in the midst of the fighting and are in a state of shock because as they moved from one place to another, they could see the damage everywhere around them. Some of the children have war injuries. Some of the diseases the children have are congenital because of air pollution, also caused by war.”

Anis Khaleel, 17, is from Baqubah in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala. He has a congenital heart disease that hinders the flow of oxygen in his frail body. His lips, fingers and feet are blue because his valves and arteries are not functioning properly. This is the second time Anis and his father, Ahmed, have travelled abroad in search of medical assistance.

“The problem in Iraq is the lack of medical services and resources,” said Ahmed Khaleel. “There is absolutely nothing. We started to look for humanitarian organisations that could help us. Through one organisation we were able to go to Amman, where we stayed for three days and spent a lot of money but were not able to get any help. And so we returned to Iraq empty handed.

I don’t even care so much about the money. The issue here is either to leave my son to die or to find some humanitarian organisation to help us.

“Last year, we approached another Iraqi NGO. We gave them our documents and Anis’s medical report. In no time, they were able to help us. They told us that in nine months’ time we would leave for the UAE and this is exactly what has happened.”

Ahmed said that he had been in contact with hospitals abroad and had been told that the operation his son needed was straight forward but costly – averaging around US $25,000. “I don’t even care so much about the money. The issue here is either to leave my son to die or to find some humanitarian organisation to help us. We don’t know if they will go ahead and operate here [UAE]. Doctors are saying that this is a very risky operation. Although from my communication with doctors abroad, they told me that the success rate of the operation was high.”

Children divided into groups

The children arriving in Abu Dhabi have been divided into groups according to their needs. “Some need surgery, some need medical attention, and others need rehabilitation and social therapy. Treatment will only commence after each case has been evaluated,” al-Jaberi said.

Operations begin this week for fractures, eye injuries, wounds and severe burns.

Psychological support is being given to all the Iraqi children and is seen as an essential part of their rehabilitation, said Fathia al-Mezary, head of First Aid and Community Safety at the UAE Red Crescent Society.

The Red Crescent and staff at Al Mafraq Hospital are working together to care for the children and their parents.

Doctors in Iraq have thanked the UAE government for helping the injured children as the circumstances in Iraq do not allow them to receive proper treatment. “Those children are innocent victims of war. Hospitals in Iraq are not equipped to offer proper treatment. We lack medicine and surgical materials,” said Dr Haydar Abdel-Kareem at Medical City Hospital in Baghdad.

“Hundreds of children have been injured in the past three years. Most of them require urgent plastic surgery that Iraq today cannot offer, especially after our best doctors have left Iraq, fleeing from violence. In the UAE, these children will get proper treatment,” Abdel-Kareem added.

According to Abdel-Kareem, there are a number of children who seek treatment to their injures from explosions and most of them need plastic surgery or physiotherapy after losing limbs.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health conceded that the country was ill-equipped to meet the needs of its high number of sick and wounded, and was grateful for any outside assistance provided.

“If neighbouring countries help, like the UAE is helping, more children will have hope for their future,” Farah Muhammad, a spokeswoman at the Ministry of Health, said.

Hear the voice of the mother of one of the children flown to the UAE.

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