Gaza: Luxembourg must strengthen its commitment by welcoming more medical evacuations
In 1 click, help us spread this information :
Luxembourg, October 21, 2025 — Tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip are in urgent need of medical care that cannot be provided locally. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on the Luxembourg government to continue and strengthen its humanitarian commitment by welcoming more severely injured or seriously ill patients from Gaza to provide them with the lifesaving care they need.
In an open letter addressed to heads of state, Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of MSF and an emergency doctor who has worked in Gaza, warns that a ceasefire alone will not be enough to end the medical and humanitarian catastrophe faced by Palestinians.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 15,600 people are currently waiting for medical evacuation from the Gaza Strip. Nearly 8,000 patients have already been transferred abroad, and Luxembourg has welcomed two medical evacuations — a humanitarian gesture welcomed by MSF.
However, the needs remain immense, particularly for those suffering from complex injuries caused by bombings or from serious illnesses such as cancer or kidney failure.
We commend the solidarity that Luxembourg has already shown, but the situation remains dire. Every available place for a medical evacuation can save a life. We call on the government to step up its efforts and welcome more patients.
Luxembourg has a strong healthcare system, skilled hospitals, and the capacity to provide specialized care to severely injured patients. The time to act is now, to bring hope back to shattered lives.”
— Thomas Kauffmann, General Director of Médecins Sans Frontières Luxembourg.
So far, around 8,000 patients have been evacuated — the majority to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, and to a lesser extent to Italy, France, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, Belgium, and the United States.
We call on Luxembourg to continue along this path, in cooperation with the hospitals already mobilized, to welcome more seriously injured or ill patients from Gaza. Every delay costs lives, and MSF stands ready to work closely with the authorities to turn these intentions into action,” said Thomas Kauffmann.
Between July 2024 and August 2025, at least 740 patients — including 137 children — died while waiting for medical evacuation.
These deaths were preventable. They are the result not only of the destruction of the healthcare system but also of political inaction,” emphasized Thomas Kauffmann.
The Gaza Strip is devastated. According to the United Nations, nearly 90% of buildings have been destroyed and the healthcare system has collapsed. More than 1,700 healthcare workers — including 15 members of Médecins Sans Frontières — have been killed.
Medical evacuations from Gaza, which have been suspended since September 29, are due to resume on October 22. MSF calls on governments around the world, including Luxembourg, to save lives by urgently and significantly increasing the number of medical evacuations, while ensuring the continuation of the ceasefire and guaranteeing free and unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.