Top Social Democrat joins calls for Germany to take in Gaza children
"We can see that there are a number of initiatives in our European partner countries to fly out children and care for the seriously injured," SPD parliamentary secretary Derya Türk-Nachbaur told broadcaster RTL/ntv.
She named Norway and Italy as examples. "There are many other countries that have joined the initiative," she added, calling on the government to follow suit and take in children from Gaza.
Germany has admitted Ukrainian children amid Russia's ongoing invasion, Türk-Nachbaur noted, arguing the country was therefore well-prepared to provide care.
Calls on Berlin for more decisive action have been growing amid international outrage over the humanitarian situation in the embattled Gaza Strip, which experts say is on the brink of famine following nearly 22 months of Israel's military campaign, which was launched in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Three German cities - Hanover, Dusseldorf and Bonn - announced earlier this week that they plan to take in children from Gaza and Israel who are particularly traumatized or vulnerable.
The Chancellery and the Interior Ministry have responded cautiously, however, expressing concerns over the feasibility of such evacuations.
In a letter addressed to Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul seen by dpa, the mayors of the three cities asked the federal government for support in implementing their plans.
"What is needed now is an organized procedure at federal level that makes this humanitarian aid possible. We urge you to create the legal and organizational conditions for such a reception as quickly as possible," states the letter, which was also signed by the mayors of Kiel and Leipzig.
Türk-Nachbaur conceded that some issues need to be resolved with Israel before children can be evacuated from Gaza.
"We need safe corridors, we need to get the ambulance transport organized and we first need the go-ahead from the Israeli side," the Social Democrat said.
"We're not talking about hundreds or thousands of children," she said, noting that Italy has taken in "20, 30, 40, 50 children."
"I think we can manage to take care" of a similar number, she added.
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