Norway has received eight more patients from Gaza
Press release | Date: 11/04/2025 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Care Services, Ministry of Justice and Public Security
‘The health system in Gaza has collapsed, many clinics have been reduced to rubble and very little treatment is available. I am very pleased that Norway is able to help more patients from Gaza. So far, we have evacuated a total of 18 patients and 38 companions,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.
The patients who have been brought to Norway now have either been injured in the war or have serious diagnoses for which no treatment is available in Gaza. The medical evacuations are part of a broader humanitarian initiative, where Norway is supporting the efforts of the UN and other organisations to provide emergency relief to Palestinians. Medical evacuations from Gaza are coordinated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Twelve European countries are receiving patients under this mechanism. To date, 172 patients and 379 companions have been evacuated to various European countries through the medical evacuation scheme.
‘Thanks to effective cooperation between a number of countries, we have now been able to evacuate more patients from Gaza. In particular I would like to thank the Romanian authorities, as this is the third time they have provided aircraft to assist Norway with an evacuation operation,’ said Mr Eide.
The Norwegian agencies involved have been ready to receive patients from Gaza since the summer of 2024. The evacuation efforts have been complicated by factors such as closed border crossings and the restrictive practice Israel has followed as regards the granting of exit permits. The Norwegian authorities also need to carry out necessary controls relating to patients and their companions to obtain information about who is entering Norway.
In Norway, medical evacuation efforts involve a collaboration between five ministries and their subordinate agencies. The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) and the national coordination centre at Oslo University Hospital are responsible for evacuation and transfer of patients to the Norwegian specialist health service.
‘Medical evacuation from Gaza is carried out through a broad collaboration involving many different agencies. DSB has overall responsibility for coordinating operations, in close cooperation with the police and the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. It is thanks to the hard work of all the participating agencies that Norway has been able to make this contribution to the international effort to support Gaza,’ said Minister of Justice and Public Security Astri Aas-Hansen.
Effective cooperation has been established across multiple Norwegian agencies, including within the health sector, to ensure that the patients are given appropriate medical treatment.
‘Health personnel in Norway are glad to have the chance to help in this difficult situation. The patients have different diagnoses and will be treated at various hospitals across the country. Those in need of long-term follow-up will receive this,’ said Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre.
Norway will continue to give priority to supporting and strengthening health services in Gaza, as this is the best way to help the thousands of people in need of medical treatment there. This includes providing support to the Red Cross Field Hospital, where the Norwegian Red Cross plays a leading coordinating role, Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC) medical team, World Health Organization, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Government. All these institutions deliver vital health services at various levels. Norway provided NOK 1 billion in humanitarian aid to Palestine in 2024.