Babies born prematurely in Gaza have been evacuated to Egypt
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00:00 At the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, 28 out of 31 premature babies are transported
00:07 into Egypt for emergency treatment.
00:09 They were evacuated by the WHO from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza due to a lack of electricity
00:14 and security risks.
00:16 Before being taken over to Egypt, a few babies were reunited with their parents at an Emirati-run
00:21 hospital in the southern part of the strip.
00:24 "I have twin daughters.
00:28 I did not know anything about their condition.
00:33 Today I saw them for the first time since the day I gave birth to them.
00:38 Thank God I was reassured that they were fine."
00:44 The newborns are in critical condition and are fighting for their lives.
00:48 They are part of an initial group of 33 babies, of which two died in their incubators following
00:53 a collapse of medical services at Al-Shifa Hospital.
00:57 They've been given antibiotics and oxygen overnight and are being re-warmed to a normal
01:01 body temperature.
01:02 "Of the 31 that were transferred to Emirati Hospital, 11 or 12 are in critical condition.
01:11 One of them was put on a ventilator last night, a life support machine.
01:17 They all are either premature or low birth weight.
01:22 All of them have serious infections."
01:26 The World Health Organization is working with the Palestinian Red Crescent and UNICEF to
01:30 track down the babies' parents.
01:32 The Rafah border crossing remains busy, with Palestinian authorities reporting that a Jordanian
01:37 medical team of 180 staff entered Gaza on Monday.
01:41 Forty trucks transported equipment to set up a field hospital, the first since the start
01:46 of the conflict.
01:47 Authorities aim to build the facility in Hanounis and running within 48 hours.
01:51 With the majority of hospitals in the enclave no longer functioning and the health system
01:55 collapsing, it's hoped that the field hospital will provide urgent medical services to the
02:00 30,000 wounded in the strip.