The UAE's floating hospital in Egypt has fitted prosthetic limbs for 51 Palestinian amputees since the launch of a humanitarian campaign delivering a lifeline to those caught up in conflict.
The Step of Hope programme was established last month to expand support for civilians who lost limbs during the Gaza war.
Under the scheme, patients are assessed on the repurposed vessel, where measurements are taken to customise prosthetic limbs.
Teams in Gaza then use 3D scanning to “map patients' residual limbs”. This data is shared with the floating hospital in Al Arish, where the prosthetics are made and fitted.
The programme is also set to boost the economy in Gaza, where factories will be built to manufacture prosthetics. Depots for storage will be set up and funding for existing workshops will increase.
The floating hospital, where operations started on February 24, 2024, is central to the UAE's relief efforts for Gazans, which started after Israel began its war on the enclave in October 2023.
The hospital is equipped with advanced surgical and intensive care units, a radiology department and laboratories. It has 100 beds for patients and an additional 100 for accompanying relatives.
In November 2025, officials announced medics had conducted more than 5,000 operations at the hospital.
The UAE has also set up a field hospital and two medical centres in Gaza and has brought thousands of patients, including many suffering from cancer and war-related injuries, to the Emirates to receive urgent care.
The Emirates last week delivered food parcels, shelter materials and 20 water tanks to serve embattled communities in the Gaza Strip.
The 938 tonnes of essential supplies were sent on 76 lorries in five Emirati aid convoys to offer respite to civilians facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
While a ceasefire agreed to in October has halted all-out fighting, Gaza continues to be subjected to frequent Israeli air strikes.
Gazans also continue to face acute food and water shortages, while much of the population remains displaced after sustained bombardment destroyed their homes.
