Every child deserves hope: Project Pure Hope and a lifeline for Gaza’s children
Two young girls from Gaza recently arrived in the UK for urgent medical care – a small but powerful act of humanity made possible by Project Pure Hope, a humanitarian initiative rooted in one clear conviction: every child deserves hope.
Established in 2023 by a coalition of NHS clinicians, healthcare leaders, and humanitarian advocates, Project Pure Hope (PPH) has facilitated medical treatment for injured children from Gaza in Italy, the UAE, and Jordan – working directly and through trusted NGO partners. The organisation has also supported Israeli children via hospital networks and offered medical equipment to healthcare providers in Israel. In addition, PPH has funded essential medical supplies for hospitals in both Gaza and Lebanon.
The arrival of the two girls in the UK marks the first time children from Gaza have been safely evacuated to the UK for medical treatment. Behind this extraordinary effort is a coalition of NHS clinicians and healthcare leaders, lawyers, NGOs, and international partners who spent 17 months developing a legal, medically-led pathway to provide life-saving care for some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
The need is overwhelming. Some children never make it. Luai was the first child the Project Pure Hope team tried to help – a three-year-old boy with devastating injuries from a November 2023 attack. His wounds were too complex to be treated locally, and he was moved between hospitals in Egypt and Qatar. But without access to the specialist trauma and burns care available in places like the UK, his injuries proved fatal. Luai died on Christmas Day (2023), without his parents by his side. At the height of the conflict, an estimated 100 children were killed every day. The estimate is now that 6,000 are now living with untreated injuries. On March 18, 2025, the UN recorded the deadliest day for children yet: reporting 180 killed in just 24 hours. Many reports suggest that at least 18,000 children have died in Gaza since October 2023.
For thousands of children, access to life-saving treatment is simply out of reach. While some have been evacuated to countries like France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Ireland, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and the United States, this marks the first time that children have been accepted into the UK for medical care from Gaza. Project Pure Hope is filling a critical gap – providing world-class treatment and recovery support that is unavailable locally. Importantly, the initiative is funded entirely through private donations, with no cost to the NHS or UK taxpayer.
In a world so often torn apart by conflict, hope can sometimes be seen as a radical act. In Arabic, the word hope – “amal” – comes from three letters: alif, meem, and lam. It means not just to wish for something, but also to expect and manifest it into being. Project Pure Hope embodies that ethos – not just hoping, but acting with purpose, excellence, and deep compassion.
We are reminded of another child once flown to the UK for care: Malala Yousafzai. She survived an attack, recovered in a UK hospital, and went on to become a Nobel Peace Prize winner. How many future Malalas are we losing simply because we cannot help them in time? Virgin Unite is proud to support this initiative, alongside organisations like the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Islamic Relief, Read Foundation, and Save a Child. The two girls now in London are receiving care from expert multidisciplinary teams who are giving them more than a chance to survive – they’re giving them a chance to heal.
To learn more please visit the Project Pure Hope website. Every child, no matter where they come from, deserves hope.