In what could be a Canadian first, Manitoba welcomes Gaza child seeking medical help

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and his wife Dr. Lisa Monkman welcome a Palestinian mother and her son from Gaza to Winnipeg, Manitoba at the Winnipeg Airport Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

WINNIPEG — A child from the Gaza Strip seeking medical treatment arrived Thursday in Winnipeg, supported in part by the Manitoba government, and a federal cabinet minister called on other provinces to follow suit.

The 11-year-old Palestinian boy and his mother were greeted at the airport by Premier Wab Kinew, who said the province is already planning to welcome a second child in the coming weeks.

"We have always been a people who stand up during times of conflict and famine and natural disaster to help the innocent," Kinew said.

Kinew did not name the 11-year-old boy or discuss details of his medical condition, citing privacy concerns. The boy, who had made it to Egypt with his family, has a genetic condition that cannot be fully treated in the region, Kinew said.

The premier gave the boy a small Canadian flag at the airport and spoke with him through a translator.

"He misses his other family members who he hasn't seen in more than a year now, and he wants to study to become an engineer when he's older," Kinew said.

Marc Miller, federal minister for immigration, refugees and citizenship, said kids from Gaza have come to Canada for medical help, but this was the first time a provincial government put its full weight behind the effort.

"We've had other provinces where we've had private sponsorship or hospitals step up and say, 'We will treat these individuals,'" Miller said. "It's a whole heck of a lot easier when a premier stands up and says, 'I'm going to put my name behind it.'

"I think we can do more as a country."

The child was identified with the help of Doctors Without Borders in Egypt and the federal government completed admissibility screening.

Not-for-profit groups in Manitoba have stepped up to provide housing for the boy and his mother, Kinew said, and the Manitoba Islamic Association and other groups have offered financial support, groceries and more.

Since the Israel-Hamas war started in October 2023, children have been sent from Gaza to Qatar, various European countries and the U.S. for medical care.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says there have been more than 110,000 injuries during the war. One-third of the 46,000 killed have been children.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2025.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press