Manal is a 6-year-old girl from Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip. She had surgery back in July 2019 to remove a type of cancer called a neuroblastoma. Afterwards, she needed intensive chemotherapy only available outside the Gaza Strip and had to apply for Israeli-issued permits to exit for treatment.
She received her initial treatment at An-Najah Hospital in Nablus, in the north of the West Bank. However, afterwards she required bone marrow transplant, a procedure not offered in any Palestinian hospital. She was referred to to the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, with an appointment in March 2020. However, after the outbreak of COVID-19, the Jordanian border closed and Manal and her aunt were unable to reach Jordan. They remained in hospital accommodation in Nablus, with Manal in and out of hospital because of her health during their wait.
Manal had continued to receive chemotherapy treatment at An-Najah Hospital in Nablus, but she and her aunt were never able to cross the border to Jordan for her bone marrow transplant. After more than four months of waiting, the doctors advised for Manal to return to Gaza. She and her aunt reached the Gaza Strip on 30 June 2020 and went into quarantine at the Turkish Hospital for 21 days. Manal’s father commented, “Manal’s treatment was delayed for months, and her situation is critical. She needs a bone marrow transplant, and we appeal to any organizations that can help us to save Manal’s life.”
