Nigeria facilitated evacuation of Gaza infants to UAE, Jordan, Egypt for urgent care  —  Minister |

Minister of Foreign Affairs , Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has revealed that Nigeria played a crucial diplomatic role in facilitating the evacuation of infants and babies from war-torn Gaza to hospitals in Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for urgent medical care.

Tuggar disclosed this at the 5th edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, the intervention came after the Red Cross approached Nigeria for assistance in resettling the children, many of whom were in critical condition.

The minister noted that Nigeria had to make a strategic decision based on the fragile medical state of the children and the risks associated with transporting them over long distances.

“The Red Cross reached out to us, asking if Nigeria would be willing to take in some of the infants from Gaza because they were looking for countries that had expressed concern over the dire humanitarian situation.

“Our response was that we cannot take the risk of flying such fragile infants, some born with heart conditions, all the way from the Middle East to Nigeria. 

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“If something happens, people will question why we took such a risk when we have our own healthcare challenges here,” he stated.

According to him, the Nigerian government leveraged diplomatic channels to negotiate with the governments of Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt, urging them to take in the children.

“We used our good offices and diplomatic connections to reach out to the Foreign Ministers of these countries and impress upon them the need to accept and provide medical care for the infants. And alhamdulillah, it succeeded,” Tuggar added.

The Minister emphasized that Nigeria’s actions align with its broader diplomatic principle of “strategic autonomy,” allowing it to engage with multiple global partners based on national interest and humanitarian considerations.

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