2nd child from Gaza arrives in Manitoba with family for 'life-changing' medical care: premier

CBC News

· Posted: May 09, 2025 8:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A 2nd household from Gaza has arrived successful Manitoba to get "life-changing" aesculapian attraction for their kindergarten-aged lad they couldn't entree astatine home, arsenic portion of what Premier Wab Kinew called a "humanitarian corridor" to the province opened successful effect to the effects of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Kinew said the young boy, on with his mother, grandma and 2 younger siblings, arrived astatine Winnipeg's airdrome connected an Air Canada formation connected Friday.

"I deliberation it says thing precise affirmative astir america arsenic Manitobans, that we're capable to measurement up and bash what we've done clip and clip again during our province's history, which is lend a manus erstwhile radical are fleeing struggle oregon different challenges," Kinew told reporters astatine a quality league aboriginal that day.

He would not supply details astir the boy's aesculapian needs for privateness reasons.

The update comes astir 4 months aft the state announced the archetypal household to beryllium welcomed to Manitoba done that corridor — an 11-year-old Palestinian lad and his ma — had arrived so the lad could person aesculapian attraction for a familial condition. 

That kid has since had a fig of appointments and surgeries successful Manitoba and is doing well, "adjusting to beingness alongside different Manitoba kids … and reasoning astir what they privation to beryllium erstwhile they turn up," Kinew said, adding helium hopes to, successful a fewer months, beryllium capable to accidental the aforesaid astir the latest children to arrive.

"I deliberation everyone successful Manitoba sees what's happening successful Gaza, and this tin beryllium a truly pugnacious issue. But I deliberation 1 happening that there's nary contention astir is Manitobans person a helping bosom — and erstwhile we tin assistance kids, I deliberation that's thing we tin each rally around."

The Hamas-led attacks connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, killed 1,200 people, and 251 were taken hostage backmost to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's run since has killed much than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to wellness authorities.

Kinew said overmuch similar the archetypal household that arrived successful Manitoba successful January, the 1 who reached Winnipeg Friday had waited successful Egypt aft leaving Gaza, until they were cleared to question to Manitoba.

'Really a assemblage effort'

The arrivals came aft a agelong process that progressive consultations that helped place families successful Gaza with aesculapian needs matching the parts of Manitoba's health-care strategy that person capableness to assistance further people, helium said.

There were besides inheritance checks, information clearances and paperwork that needed to beryllium done for planetary question astatine the national level.

"When we were archetypal talking astir opening up this humanitarian corridor for these children, successful my caput I thought, 'Oh, astir apt a fewer weeks,'" said Kinew.

"Well, it turns out, [for] the archetypal kid it took the amended portion of a year. And past again, you're talking astir months and months for the 2nd household here."

He said members of the section community, peculiarly the Manitoba Islamic Association, person stepped up to supply enactment for the families.

That ranged from fundraising to assistance them with things similar housing, foods and different basal needs, to adjacent "something arsenic elemental arsenic offering translation, dealing with a household who astatine this constituent lone speaks Arabic, possibly a fewer words of English successful there."

"So it's truly a assemblage effort," Kinew said.

He added the health sum for the caller household volition beryllium the aforesaid arsenic it was for the archetypal household that arrived successful Manitoba, who got 3 months of impermanent sum nether the national government's interim wellness program, earlier the provincial authorities assumed the coverage.

When the archetypal household arrived successful Manitoba, national officials said Ottawa had "quietly" brought a fig of radical fleeing the Israel-Hamas warfare to Canada, including children who had been medically treated successful Ontario and orphans who had been sponsored by household members successful different provinces.

Officials besides said the children and those coming to Manitoba with them would besides person fiscal enactment to assistance them accommodate to their beingness successful Canada, including for housing, clothing, schoolhouse enrolment, employment enactment and connection training.

Kinew said Friday portion the families who landed successful Manitoba volition beryllium capable to instrumentality location erstwhile it's harmless if they privation to, "if they autumn successful emotion with this country, similar we each emotion Canada, past you cognize there'll beryllium a spot for them here, too."

While the premier said helium hopes to beryllium capable to bring much children from Gaza to Manitoba, he's gladsome the state has astatine slightest been capable to marque a quality successful the lives of the 2 families who person already arrived.

"And if that's what we tin negociate to bash … past we've done thing successful a concern wherever galore of america felt compassion, and we felt possibly helpless," helium said. 

"At slightest arsenic Manitobans, we've present done something."