WHO / GAZA FAMILY IN SPAIN

Iman, a 33-year-old mother from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, made the heartbreaking decision to leave her husband and family behind to save her daughter Eleen, who is battling leukemia. Eleen’s treatment ended when hostilities broke out between Gaza and Israel with the shelling of the hospital where she received treatment. Eleen was medically evacuated with another 14 children to Spain where she continues her treatment. WHO EUROPE OFFICE

• Video Length: 00:05:15
• Production Date: 26 November 2024
• Asset Language: Arabic; Spanish
• Corporate Name: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - WHO
• Subject Topical: MEDICAL TREATMENT; DISPLACED PERSONS
• Geographic Subject: GAZA; PALESTINE; ISRAEL; SPAIN
• MAMS Id: 3314703
• Parent Id: 3314703
• Alternate Title: unifeed241126e

Description

STORY: WHO / GAZA FAMILY IN SPAIN
SOURCE: WHO EUROPE OFFICE
TRT: 05:15
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: SPANISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 12 NOVEMBER 2024, OVIEDO, SPAIN

Shotlist

1. Various shots, children playing
2. Medium shot, Iman Al Majida, 33-years-old, with her 6-year-old twins Eleen and Samar Almajayda, at a playground
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Iman Al Majida:
“My name is Iman Al Majida. I came from Gaza, Khan Younis, so our life was good and sweet, we lived happily and comfortably, but when the war came, everything stopped, everything was destroyed, nothing existed, even one of the important things that stopped in our life was my daughter Eleen’s treatment. everything changed, we left our homes, there was no work and no source of income, the simplest things, treatment and food, etc. were not available, other than displacement, we were forced to move from place to place.”
4. Various shots, children playing in the park
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Iman Al Majida:
“In the hospital in Gaza, Al Rantisi hospital. When we went for tests for Eleen, the doctor who transferred her told us there was no treatment available, and we couldn’t even run the tests. He said there was no treatment available there, and that she should get treated abroad. So we applied for her transfer and left.”
6. Various shots, Iman with the twins
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Iman Al Majida:
“I am so grateful, I mean, what happened to us is a very, very big thing. The fact that my daughter was able to come to Spain and complete her treatment here”
8. Various shots, Iman and the twin going into the front door of the local branch of Accem, a national NGO in Spain supporting families like Iman
9. Various shots, twins Eleen and Samar writing the first letters of their family members names who are in Gaza on the blackboard
10. Close up, shot of Maria Tejada, Head of Campaigns and Communication at the Spanish not for profit organization, Accem. Accem is providing a host of essential services, including access to a social worker and a translator, to families from Gaza who were medically evacuated to Spain.
11. Various shots, Accem representative playing with twins Eleen and Samar
12. Various shots of a WHO representative through the office window
13. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Maria Tejada, Head of Campaigns and Communication, Accem:
“One of the significant changes is seeing the children act like children. It may seem very simple, but it’s complicated. When a child comes from a war, living through such dramatic situations as having a chronic illness without treatment and no access to food or water, their life is completely different. They can’t be a child. They can’t grow up as a child. All children have the right to live a normal, happy childhood with their stories and experiences, but normal and happy. That’s the big change, and that’s the great success.”
14. Various shots, Iman playing with the girls at home
15. SOUNDBITE(Spanish) Maria Tejada, Head of Campaigns and Communication, Accem:
“One of the first words they learn to say is 'thank you.'”
16. Medium shot, Maria Tejada
17. Medium shot, Congresswoman and nurse Alda Recas, Madrid, Spain
18. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alda Recas, Congresswoman and Nurse:
“We are proud to have been able to coordinate with all the Ministries and with Europe. We are proud to show Europe that Spain is a supportive country. Whatever happens and whatever the war is, we will continue to support anyone who suffers, and if it's within our hands, to provide a solution for a better life.”
19. Various shots of Recas speaking to WHO Representative
20. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alda Recas, Congresswoman and nurse
“Europe must wake up. Europe must step forward and say that where there is suffering, the European Union will be there to support the suffering population. Without a doubt, the message to Europe must be clear. Spain has done it; any country can do it, and it is our ethical obligation to do so.”

Storyline

Iman, a 33-year-old mother from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, made the heartbreaking decision to leave her husband and family behind to save her daughter Eleen, who is battling leukemia.

Eleen’s treatment ended when hostilities broke out between Gaza and Israel, leading to the shelling of the hospital where she received treatment. Eleen was medically evacuated with another 14 children to Spain where she continues her treatment.

Supported by the non-profit organization Accem, Iman and her twin daughters are rebuilding their lives, receiving psychosocial support, and integrating into Spanish society.

The medical evacuation from Egypt to Spain was a highly complex operation, requiring the collaboration of five Spanish ministries, the World Health Organization, the European Union Civil Protection mechanism and not-for-profit organizations in Egypt and Spain.

Congresswoman and nurse Alda Recas, who was part of the mission to Egypt, played a key role in ensuring the smooth transfer of patients to Spain. Alda Recas passionately believes that more must be done—by Spain and other countries—to support the people of Gaza. Recas is also resolute in her mission to ensure Spain can continue facilitating the evacuation of sick and injured Gazans in the future.

WHO appeals for the establishment of multiple medical evacuation corridors to ensure sustained, organized, safe and timely passage of patients via all possible routes, including Rafah and Kerem Shalom. WHO once again calls for the end of the war, as peace is ultimately the best path to health.