It is with profound sadness that we have learnt UK Humanitarian Hub fellow, Dr Ahmed S. Almaqadma was killed during the recent Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) action on al-Shifa hospital in Gaza.
Ahmed, a father of three young children, was an experienced plastic surgeon working at al-Shifa during the siege of the medical complex.
Sian White, director of UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub (UKHIH) said, “We are shocked and saddened at the tragic loss of Ahmed, who was found alongside his mother, also a doctor. They have both given so much vital assistance to the Gazan people, working tirelessly to support others in the most challenging and dangerous situation.
“Ahmed was highly motivated to develop his surgical skills, and during his fellowship with UKHIH and the Royal College of Surgeons, he connected with other surgeons working in humanitarian crises, sharing his expertise.
“It is a tragedy that Ahmed lost his life while trying to help others. We stand with other humanitarian actors in reiterating that health workers should never be a target in conflicts - it is a basic principle of International Humanitarian Law."
As a UKHIH Humanitarian Surgery Innovation fellow, Ahmed contributed to several research projects, including a multinational survey to evaluate the efficacy of video learning in surgical education in low- and middle-income countries, research defining humanitarian surgery, and webinars featuring surgical voices from the global South.
UKHIH fellowships are awarded to promising junior academics or humanitarian practitioners. Fellows play a critical role within our systems innovation partnerships and provide important national and regional insights in developing UKHIH projects.
