Latest news with #RahafAyyad
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
Malnourished girl from Gaza is treated in Abu Dhabi
Rahaf Ayyad, 12, is receiving treatment at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa Medical City after suffering with malnourishment and severe health problems in Gaza for months. She is accompanied by her mother, Shroog Ayyad, 35. All photos: Ahmed Ramzan for The National
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
Gazan girl's life saved in UAE by doctors who had 'never seen such severe malnutrition'
Gazan 12-year-old Rahaf Ayyad is receiving life-saving treatment for malnourishment and severe health problems at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. She arrived in the UAE on May 14 on an evacuation flight that carried 101 patients, accompanied by 87 family members. Heart failure and death were imminent, doctors told The National, when Rahaf was admitted to the medical city after months of suffering. She had lost most of her hair, was unable to walk let alone lift her arm, and had regular seizures. Her face was hollowed out by malnutrition and her teeth were yellow. 'At that point, if Rahaf had not got treatment immediately, she would have died. I have never seen such severe malnutrition like in Rahaf's case,' Dr Tawfik Hen, general paediatric consultant, said. A multidisciplinary team of doctors was needed to stabilise Rahaf's condition. Today, her blonde hair is growing back and, above all, she can walk again. 'I missed my hair,' she told The National. 'I missed playing hide and seek with my brothers and sisters, and I miss school.' Rahaf has six siblings – the eldest, Mohamed, is 17 and her favourite. Her mother said her family of seven children and her father are waiting for her to join them at the Emirates Humanitarian City. A video of Rahaf made by a doctor in Gaza changed their lives. Without it, Rahaf would not be alive today. It was this video that sparked action from the authorities in Abu Dhabi to make sure Rahaf was on the evacuation flight. Who is Rahaf Ayyad? A lack of food and protein was the primary cause of Rahaf's health issues, as she suffered with kidney problems and a vitamin deficiency. In a previous interview with The National, she described how she felt weaker every day and even basic daily tasks felt impossible as she struggled to walk. Rahaf often cried as she compared herself with old photos showing her looking healthy. The war left her bones protruding, cheeks swollen, skin pale with dark spots on her face and scalp, and losing her hair. Her mother, Shroog Ayyad, said treatment was not available in Gaza and Rahaf's condition only got worse as the Israeli blockade, which stopped the entry of food, water, medicine and aid into the enclave, continued. In early May, Shroog appealed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab nations for urgent help. The Emirates answered. 'There are not enough words of gratitude that I can say to the UAE for bringing us all over and caring for Rahaf,' Shroog said. Rahaf is expected to be discharged from hospital within two weeks. What next for the supply of aid into Gaza? Rahaf is on the road to recovery as Hamas is studying a ceasefire plan presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Washington says Israel has already agreed to. If Hamas accepts the agreement, deliveries of aid into Gaza will intensify with the agreed distribution mechanism set to remain in place during a 60-day truce. The resumption of humanitarian aid would involve 1,000 lorries a day to quickly address the widespread hunger, acute shortages of medicine and other essentials among Gaza's 2.3 million residents. Rahaf Ayyad is treated in Abu Dhabi - in pictures
The National
06-05-2025
- Health
- The National
'Every day I cry': Pain of malnourished Gazan girl
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza At the age of 12, Rahaf Ayyad is malnourished and suffering from severe health problems as starvation overtakes Gaza. As the strip goes hungry under Israel's aid blockade, a lack of food and protein has worsened Rahaf's kidney problems and vitamin deficiency. As a result, she feels severe pain and grows weaker every day, preventing her from carrying out basic tasks and limiting her ability to walk. 'I feel a lot of pain in my bones. Every day, I cry from the pain,' she told The National. For the past 65 days, Israel has blocked the entry of food, water, medicine and aid into the enclave, worsening Gaza's already dire humanitarian crisis. Her mother, Shuruk Ayyad, said treatment is not available in Gaza. She appealed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab nations for urgent help. 'We don't have anything available here – not medicine, not proper nutrition,' she said. 'Where should I go? Who do I ask or see?". Rahaf often cries as she compares her current state with photos of herself looking healthy before the war. Her mother pointed out how she is now heavily malnourished with her bones protruding, cheeks swollen, skin pale, hair thinning and falling, with dark spots appearing on her face and scalp. Gaza's lack of food has caused prices to surge by more than 500 per cent since October 2023, while severe malnutrition and starvation become more prevalent by the day. International humanitarian agencies are calling for an urgent end to the blockade and a restoration of humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, Israeli plans to deliver aid in secure zones policed by private contractors have raised further alarm. .
