Doctors for Gaza Children

August 25, 2014

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper

Office of the Prime Minister

80 Wellington Street

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister,

Canadian physicians and surgeons with a vast range of medical specialties and belonging to various medical organizations have come together to form a group called Doctors for Gaza Children.‎ Doctors for Gaza Children is joined by a large number of doctors from across Canada in signing this letter; within only _______ days, _____signatures were gathered, with more to come.

Doctors for Gaza Children is a non-political and non-partisan group of Canadian doctors who are committed to providing medical treatment in Canada to injured children of Gaza‎. All these doctors are united for the sole purpose of supporting Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish's initiative to ensure humanitarian assistance and medical treatment here in Canada for at least 100 Gaza children who are in need of advanced medical attention.

Doctors for Gaza Children and the signatories to this letter are disappointed that the government of Canada has yet to embrace Dr. Abuelaish's humanitarian appeal to bring injured children of Gaza to Canada for medical care.

It is to be noted that Canadian hospitals and doctors have the professional expertise, logistical capacity and experience in receiving and treating patients from abroad, as well as in treating victims of conflicts and humanitarian disasters.  We believe that the logistics for bringing children from Gaza to Canada for treatment are made much more feasible as Dr. Abuelaish has gone to Gaza where he has compiled medical files of children who are well enough to fly and who are in need of treatment that will be impossible or very unlikely to be delivered in Gaza or nearb‎y.

The only real barrier to fulfilling this humanitarian cause are the visas permitting the injured Gaza children to travel to Canada for medical treatment. We believe that granting visas is something that can be easily accomplished‎ by our federal government.

The signatories to this letter further believe that bringing injured children to Canada for treatment is a noble and compassionate endeavour and one befitting Canada’s abilities and historical reputation, and this is our immediate focus. However, the signatories of this letter would also welcome our government helping to ensure medical supplies and personnel can reach and enter Gaza, especially as the injuries from warfare continue to be sustained and as no one can predict the extent of human suffering in the days and weeks ahead.

Hundreds of Canadian doctors are willing and available to volunteer their services to assist in this cause.

The Government of Ontario has announced that it is willing to commit the required medical facilities.

Accordingly, Doctors for Gaza Children and all signatories to this letter appeal to you to work with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration in order to ensure the relevant federal authorities grant temporary visas on humanitarian and compassionate grounds to the injured children of Gaza.

Canada is known worldwide as a leading contributor to the easing of human suffering. Today, these innocent children are in desperate need of a further demonstration of our Canadian values.

You are respectfully requested to respond to this letter at the earliest possible convenience as the need is urgent and time is of the essence.

Yours sincerely,