A group of students and researchers stranded in Gaza, including a doctor with a scholarship to study public health in Belgium, have expressed deep disappointment after the country’s government failed to reach an agreement on their evacuation. The 13 individuals, unable to leave the war-torn region, had been relying on Belgium’s plan to secure their passage to take up academic opportunities abroad. With no resolution in sight, their hopes of gaining specialized training—intended to help rebuild Gaza’s health infrastructure—remain on hold. The impasse highlights the broader challenges of assisting those trapped in conflict zones while pursuing education.
Belgian government unable to agree on evacuation of 13 students to take up scholarships at universitiesStudents who are unable to leave Gaza and take up scholarships at Belgian universities have said they are devastated after Belgium’s government hit deadlock on a plan enabling them to leave the war-torn territory.Ahmed Abujami, a 28-year-old doctor in Gaza, said he was “deeply disappointed” after Belgium’s five-party coalition government last Friday failed to agree on an evacuation plan for 13 students and researchers in the territory. Abujami has a scholarship to do a one-year master’s degree in public health at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. He hopes to gain skills and experience to rebuild Gaza’s shattered health system. Continue reading...
