Palestinian patients stranded in Baghdad amid administrative limbo
Iraqi authorities hold passports while patients with severe conditions report material deprivation and psychological distress, calling for international assistance to facilitate repatriation to Gaza.
Forty-six Palestinians, comprising 21 patients with severe medical conditions and 25 family escorts, remain confined within the Private Nursing Home Hospital in Baghdad’s Medical City complex. The group, evacuated from Gaza in March 2024 for medical treatment, has been unable to return to the enclave via the Rafah crossing into Egypt for over two years after Iraqi authorities confiscated their travel documents.
The patients include individuals with oncology cases, blood disorders, cardiac issues, and war-related injuries. Among them is Hanin Muhammad, who entered her third year of separation from her six children in Gaza, whose home in Rafah was destroyed by Israeli forces. Muhammad, who arrived as a companion to her sister, a kidney transplant recipient, stated that Iraqi Intelligence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are holding their identification papers, leaving the group without valid means of travel.
Living conditions within the complex have deteriorated significantly. Samah Abdul Moati, a 65-year-old patient with leukaemia and liver cancer, reported that hospital food is unfit for consumption and that the group relies on charity from local citizens for sustenance. The psychological toll is severe, with evacuees describing deep distress from separation from families in war-ravaged Gaza. Noor Ibrahim, an escort who arrived on a promised six-month treatment window, reported being stranded for two years, unable to complete her marriage or return to her fiancé in Gaza.
Administrative friction has escalated following attempts by the group to publicise their situation. Five months ago, hospital management locked down the ward and banned access to the garden after evacuees attempted to protest or speak to media. While the Palestinian Embassy in Baghdad issued new passports for those lacking documents, these remain unstamped by the Iraqi government and are functionally useless for travel.
Iraqi officials have characterised the situation as political. Ruba Falah Hassan, head of public relations at the Iraqi Ministry of Health, declined to comment further, stating she was not authorised to discuss the matter. The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Health did not answer repeated calls from Al Jazeera. Evacuees state they lack the financial means to purchase commercial airline tickets even if documents are returned, requiring coordinated government or charity assistance for repatriation.
