Amid the health challenges facing the Gaza Strip, Jordan has extended support and assistance to Palestinian patients, particularly cancer patients who long for medical care that upholds their basic human right to receive treatment when ill.
اضافة اعلان
Since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center (KHCC) has received 142 cancer patients from Gaza, most of them children, along with 250 accompanying family members who were forced to flee their homes in search of safety and treatment.
This effort comes in line with His Majesty King Abdullah II's announcement that Jordan will receive 2,000 children from Gaza, both patients and the injured, to complete their treatment at Jordan’s expense—an embodiment of Jordan’s humanitarian mission and commitment to embracing those in need.
Children with cancer and their families shared with Petra News Agency the immense suffering and pain they endured due to the war, as access to basic medical care had become impossible due to the lack of resources and treatments.
They highly praised Jordan’s efforts, led by King Abdullah II, who issued a royal initiative to treat children with cancer from Gaza. They expressed heartfelt gratitude and prayers for continued peace and safety in Jordan—its leadership, government, and people—stating that Jordan exemplifies generosity and nobility, becoming a warm haven for Gaza’s patients in their time of crisis.
One such story is that of Rahaf Kaskin, an 11-year-old girl diagnosed with pituitary gland cancer in the brain, which led to loss of vision due to the tumor’s pressure on the optic nerve. Her mother explained that the diagnosis came one month after the war began, following a rapid health deterioration. There were no proper scans or lab tests available at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and painkillers offered only brief relief.
She and her daughter fled to Egypt without documentation, coordinated by the Palestinian Ministry of Health and St. Jude Foundation. There, 40% of the tumor was removed, and Rahaf received two chemotherapy sessions before being transferred to KHCC in Jordan. At the center, her condition was fully re-evaluated, and she continued chemotherapy and underwent 16 radiation sessions. Her health has now stabilized with no signs of the tumor, and she continues follow-up treatment, including medication, vitamins, and hormones.
Yousef Sabooh, a 9-year-old boy with leukemia, also shared his painful journey. His father explained that Yousef arrived in Jordan under the royal initiative while suffering from high fever due to complications from a central line catheter used for chemotherapy. The line had become infected, causing the fevers.
Yousef had been without treatment for two months in Gaza after Al-Rantisi Hospital was destroyed by Israeli shelling. He was then moved to Hospital 57 in Egypt, where doctors found his treatment protocol incompatible with those available in Gaza. It was during this time that the Jordanian Ambassador visited and informed them of arrangements to transfer to Jordan for continued care at KHCC—an encounter the family described as a lifeline.
Upon arriving in Jordan, KHCC received them with great care. Just two days later, Her Majesty Queen Rania visited the center, checked on their condition, and personally inquired about their health and the care they were receiving.
The father added that Jordanian schools have committed to educating cancer patients arriving from Gaza, allowing the children to not only receive medical care but also resume their lives with a sense of normalcy and dignity.
He emphasized that Jordan is playing a vital and admirable role in treating these children, describing it as an extension of the country’s long-standing commitment to standing by its neighbors with honor and compassion.
Yousef’s condition has significantly improved and he now lives a relatively normal life, though he still requires periodic chemotherapy, which sometimes causes nausea, fatigue, and dizziness.
Nisreen Qatamish, Director General of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, affirmed that Jordan, under the direction of His Majesty the King and the supervision of HRH Princess Ghida Talal, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, has embraced Gaza’s cancer patients in their humanitarian medical journey.
She stated that KHCF has launched the “Gaza Fund” to enable patients from Gaza to complete their treatment with dignity. The fund covers comprehensive care at KHCC, full accommodation for patients and their companions, three daily meals, monthly vouchers for food and clothing, a monthly allowance, and educational scholarships at both school and university levels. It also includes emergency medical coverage for companions and provides in-hospital or hotel caregivers as needed. To date, the initiative has cost over 7 million Jordanian dinars.
Qatamish added that KHCC continues to coordinate with relevant parties to facilitate medical evacuations for Gaza patients and ensure their treatment is completed in a safe and humane environment with comprehensive medical care.
She also noted that each incoming patient and their companions undergo psychological evaluation upon arrival in Jordan and are referred to mental health specialists, due to the trauma and suffering caused by the war.
Psychological care is an integral part of the treatment plan and includes palliative care, home care where needed, and providing caregivers for Gaza patients either at the center or in their accommodations, based on doctors’ recommendations.
