For the second time this 12 months, the Manitoba government has welcomed a toddler from the Gaza Strip in need of health care.
Premier Wab Kinew says the kindergarten-aged boy and a few members of the family made their method to Egypt and were flown to Winnipeg after being screened by international non-profit staff and the federal government.
Kinew cites health privacy laws for not disclosing the kid’s condition, but says the boy needs medical care that isn’t available in his home region.
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The arrival follows that of an 11-year-old Palestinian boy from Gaza via Egypt in January, who also needed health care.
Kinew says in each cases, the Manitoba Islamic Association and other community groups have fundraised to offer housing, food and other necessities.
For the reason that Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, children have been sent from Gaza to Qatar, North America and various European countries for medical care.
“Manitobans have a helping heart and once we can assist kids, I believe that’s something we are able to all rally around,” Kinew told reporters Friday, hours after the family landed at Winnipeg’s airport.
The boy arrived alongside his mother, grandmother and two younger siblings, Kinew said, and the treatment he requires could be handled by the capability within the province’s health system.
The primary boy who arrived in January is doing well, the premier said.
“The kid is at school, the kid has made friends … and so they’ve had their medical appointments with physicians who, while respecting their confidentiality, are telling us they’re on path health-wise,” said Kinew.
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