'Tremendous amount of community support' for Gaza families in Winnipeg for medical care

Lauren Scott · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 09, 2025 8:53 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Two families from Gaza that moved to Manitoba for aesculapian attraction were welcomed by the premier, the Manitoba Islamic Association and members of the section Palestinian assemblage astatine an lawsuit successful Winnipeg connected Sunday. 

In January, provincial officials welcomed an 11-year-old lad who could not get the aesculapian attraction helium needed owed to the Israel-Hamas war. Last month, a 2nd kid from Gaza arrived to entree life-changing medical attraction successful the province.

Ruheen Aziz, vice-chair of the Manitoba Islamic Association's board, said Sunday's lawsuit astatine the association's Grand Mosque connected Waverley Street was an authoritative invited enactment for the families present that they person settled successful the city.

"They are adjusting good to the Winnipeg community, the schoolhouse system, the larger assemblage arsenic well. They're blessed to beryllium here," Aziz said.

"I deliberation that humanitarian aid, thing similar this wherever we're talking astir children and their health, becomes apical precedence for everyone, not conscionable radical from Gaza oregon radical from our community," she said.    

In speech with CBC's Nadia Kidwai connected the Weekend Morning Show connected Sunday, Suha Jadallah, who came to Winnipeg with her 11-year-old lad said helium is doing good but is missing his household backmost location successful Gaza.  

Nahar Nassar said the assemblage has been precise supportive of her family, including her parent and 3 boys, since they arrived successful May. It's hard being distant from home, she said, but she's hopeful her kid gets the aesculapian attraction helium needs successful Canada. 

Jadallah and Nassar spoke done translator Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba. 

Aziz said the Islamic relation is providing food, lodging and backing enactment to the families, portion assemblage members are stepping up to assistance successful immoderate mode they tin — from taking the kids for crystal pick to driving them to schoolhouse and aesculapian appointments. 

"There's been a tremendous magnitude of assemblage support," Aziz said, portion thanking the province, and Premier Wab Kinew specifically, for bringing the families to Manitoba. 

Kinew said the authorities helped to put the families' flights and supply health-care services for the children erstwhile they arrived. 

"I deliberation the astir important happening is you spot these 2 young kids thriving and that's what we privation for immoderate child," helium said. 

"These 2 kids are coming from a portion of the satellite wherever fundamentally the health-care strategy has collapsed. They each person superior wellness needs and they've been capable to get them [met] present successful Manitoba." 

Kinew told CBC News the state is moving with aesculapian experts successful the state to bring successful a 3rd family.

Manitoba Islamic Association committee seat Hakim Ghulam said the relation is hoping to bring successful arsenic galore families arsenic imaginable and hopes different provinces instrumentality Manitoba's lead. 

"We privation to bash arsenic overmuch arsenic possible," helium said. "At the extremity of the day, if you prevention 1 psyche … it is arsenic if you person saved the full [of] humanity."