Gaza family getting medical care in Winnipeg adjusts to life in city

WINNIPEG — A Palestinian family that came to Winnipeg from Gaza to get medical care for their son is adjusting to life in Winnipeg, thanks to help from local organizations.

The couple and their four children, who are under the age of 12, were brought to Manitoba in mid-November by the provincial government so that one of the children, a boy, can receive complex medical care.

A provincial spokesperson said the Manitoba government became aware of the family through the federal Special Measures program, which offers help to families in Gaza who have children in need of urgent medical care.

The family’s travel and their three-year temporary visas were arranged by the province, and doctors in Manitoba provide care for free.

The province asked the Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba office to be a lead partner for the family, due to its experience with refugee sponsorship. MCC takes care of the family’s daily needs such as rent, groceries, clothing, language lessons, school support, transportation and other essentials. The Manitoba Islamic Association and the Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute provide cultural and other supports.

When MCC was approached by the government to help the family, the organization was quick to agree, said Darryl Loewen, executive director of the MCC Manitoba office.

“Welcoming and supporting this family is a small but concrete act of care and kindness in the face of an unprecedented, human-made humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” he said.

“We’re helping one family find safety and essential medical care because we can, and because it’s what MCC Manitoba tries to do by being the hands and feet of Christ.”

The family is grateful to be in Manitoba said the father, whose first name is Mohammed, as he recounted their journey.

Originally from Gaza, they had been living in the United Arab Emirates, where he was a civil engineer. They were in Gaza visiting relatives when the war broke out. They were trapped there for six months, before they were able to leave for Egypt.

“The place where we were staying was destroyed,” Mohammed said, adding that 17 of their relatives have been killed during the conflict.

To cross into safety in Rafah, on the border with Gaza, they sold most of their possessions, including jewelry and a wedding ring.

In Rafah, they lived in a tent and often struggled to get enough to eat. “Some days my wife and I went without food for two days to make sure the children had something to eat,” he said. “We always put the children first.”

During that time, their son’s health worsened. There was no medical care available to treat his complex needs.

“It was hard for us to see him sick, without medical care,” Mohammed said about their time in Rafah. “I feared for him and for his future.”

Mohammed is grateful to the province and the agencies for their support.

“We appreciate everything being done for us,” he said, adding that the medical care is “very good … we have a good doctor for my son. The treatments are helping.”

Faysal Ali, a settlement support worker with the women’s institute, is the main point of contact for the family.

“They really appreciate the warm welcome they have received in Manitoba,” he said. “They are so happy and grateful. They are adjusting well.”

MCC Manitoba has launched an appeal to raise $75,000 to support the family.

“This is an opportunity to show there are many Manitobans who care,” said Loewen, noting it is especially poignant at Christmas — a time when Manitobans remember another family who sought refuge 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.

“This is a meaningful and Christian humanitarian response, showing compassion for a child,” he said.

Currently, three Palestinian families from Gaza are in Manitoba so their children can receive medical care.

Donations to assist the family through MCC can be made by visiting www.mcc.org/gaza-family-initiative.

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