Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many medical evacuations from Gaza to the UK have been (a) requested by the UK and (b) successfully conducted since 7 October 2023.

Officials from all relevant Whitehall departments are exploring avenues to ensure our support best meets the needs of the critically ill in Gaza, and we continue to support the provision of healthcare in Gaza and the region. The Government is keeping our humanitarian programme and existing policies on medical evacuations and visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza.

The ceasefire provides a vital opportunity to increase the number of medical evacuations from Gaza. It is very positive that the Rafah crossing has reopened to support this. It is vital that Israel ensures that there is a sustained passage for patients who need treatment not available in Gaza, and the UK frequently engages with Israel to ensure critically ill patients receive the medical treatment they need.

We have announced £1 million for the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, delivered through World Health Organisation (WHO) Egypt, to support medically evacuated Palestinians from Gaza. The UK is also supporting the provision of essential healthcare to civilians in Gaza, including support to UK-MED who have now provided vital care to over 330,000 Gazans since the start of the conflict.