Nonprofit brings families from Gaza to Houston for medical treatment
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Four children and their family members have made it to Houston from Gaza after seeing tragedy unfold for more than a year.
"It's also just heartbreaking, knowing what they left behind and what they've been through. Some of those stories are just really tragic," Alyssa Seliga, a volunteer for FAJR Scientific, said.
They were brought here by FAJR Scientific, which is an organization that provides surgical care in Gaza. Mosab Nasser is the CEO and says these four children are just a small fraction of those that are in desperate need.
"So far, the numbers reported by local authorities in Gaza say that, and approved by the WHO say we have over 100,000 people that have been injured. Half of them are children," Nasser said.
He says in many cases, the need for help is urgent.
"Most of them either will die a slow and painful death because of infections or they'll end up with a bad disability for the rest of their lives," he said.
While thousands are waiting for aid, the process of bringing patients to the US is extremely rigorous and can take several months.
"We submit their names to the state department, and we communicate that with the WHO, and we work out a plan with the Jordanian government to try to go them out of Gaza through Jordan," he said.
Volunteers like Alyssa Seliga help make that happen as the people in Gaza face a shortage of quality medical care.
"There is just no sterilization. There's not adequate antibiotics. People are dying of infection," Seliga said.
While Houston is home for these families for now, they still hope to be reunited with their loved ones one day in Gaza.
"I'm a Palestinian. I am born and raised in Gaza, but I'm also a Houstonian. Home is home. No matter how it looks, no matter what goes on down there, they would like to go home one day," Seliga said.
Nasser said they plan to bring in more families for treatment.
