How Greece is healing and transforming Gaza's injured children

When a special flight touched down in Athens Greece a few weeks ago, it became a lifeline for 10 injured Gaza children and their caregivers to seek the medical treatment they so desperately needed. 

It's part of a coordinated international humanitarian mission involving multiple agencies, including the European Union, the World Health Organization, Egyptian authorities and Greek ministries.

Paediatric facilities across Greece opened their doors with dedicated medical staff getting to work on serious injuries. 

From broken bones, to burns and even amputations, the injuries varied but the effects of war go far beyond the physical and the journey to recovery only just beginning for these children tormented by trauma.  

The children were first stabilized in Cairo, before being flown to Athens on a specially arranged flight last month.

"These are children with complex injuries - orthopedic, oncola few weeks ago, ogical, trauma-related," General Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors at the Ministry of Migration Iraklis Moskov told CGTN.

"But beyond medical care, what they need most is safety, stability, and the reassurance that they're no longer in danger."

Resilience and trust

Volunteers work alongside medical staff to offer comfort. One volunteer with the Ministry of Migration described the children's transformation.

"At first, they were shy - unsure who we were. Later you'd see kids with a damaged leg trying to play football with us. You wouldn't guess what they'd been through from the way they played," he said.

That resilience slowly built trust, added fellow volunteer Spyros. "In the beginning, they were hiding behind their moms. But soon they were waving, smiling, and even showing us their toys. That's how the connection began."

While it remains unclear how long the children and their families will stay in Greece, officials are already shifting focus from emergency care to longer-term support.

"Integration won't happen overnight," Moskov added. "But these children deserve more than just treatment - they deserve a future. And that's where our responsibility continues."

The mission is just one part of Greece's broader humanitarian commitment. 

For these young survivors, it's a small but powerful step toward healing - and a chance to reclaim some of the childhood they've lost.