DUBAI // A Palestinian boy injured in an explosion in Gaza in 2005 will have orthopaedic surgery at a Dubai hospital today.
Oday Al Jamal, 11, arrived for the operation only a few days ago. It will be the second he has received in two years, thanks to the UAE chapter of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF).
Three other children from the West Bank and Gaza, aged between two and 15, are staying with volunteer host families in Dubai, awaiting surgery. A fifth is due to arrive on October 10.
"These are serious and long procedures," said Iman Odeh, the national coordinator for PCRF. "However, they are staying strong and their parents are relieved their children can finally receive the high-quality medical treatment available in the UAE."
Over the past four years, PCRF has provided 51 Palestinian children with free medical treatment in Dubai because the surgeries they required were unavailable in the occupied territories.
Through 19 chapters worldwide, the group has arranged treatment for 800 children outside their homeland, while 25,000 were treated in the West Bank and Gaza over the past 20 years.
Each child in Dubai is assigned five volunteers who cater to all of their needs.
[ melshoush@thenational.ae ]