Thousands of miles away from the devastation in Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian students are pursuing their dreams in Cuba thanks to scholarships from the island’s government.
June 20, 2024
AFP news agency has written about the plight of Palestinian medical students in Cuba, and recounted their feelings of helplessness as they watch their homeland burn. Samar, a 21-year-old medical student from Gaza is torn between his studies and the harrowing scenes in his homeland. Thousands of miles away from the devastation, Samar and hundreds of other Palestinian students are pursuing their dreams in Cuba, thanks to scholarships from the island’s government. He like the other
For Samar, the daily anguish of not knowing the safety of his family (his mother, two brothers and sister) in the Gaza Strip weighs heavily.
“It would be easier for me to be with them than to have all these thoughts, of not knowing what they drink, what they eat, where they sleep,” he told AFP .
“We are proud of you, we are proud to have someone outside Gaza studying medicine,” Samar’s mother assures him via WhatsApp messages.
Samar is one of 247 Palestinian students, including 75 from Gaza, currently benefiting from Cuban scholarships, according to Palestinian Ambassador Akram Samhan.
Since 1974, Cuba has extended this educational opportunity to about 1,500 Palestinians, many of whom returned to serve their communities as doctors.
Motee Almashar, 24, another Palestinian student in Cuba, speaks of the challenges of trying to stay focused on studies amid the constant barrage of distressing news from home.
“As soon as you pick up the phone, you see the news,” she shares about the recent loss of family members in the Rafah bombing.
The conflict affects not only her emotional well-being, but also her financial stability. With no means of receiving support from family members in Gaza due to the disruption of financial channels, Palestinian students in Cuba face additional hardships.
Faced with this situation, Ambassador Samhan has launched some initiatives to collect donations from Palestinian groups around the world in support of the students.
Mohammed Refat Almassri, 26, who is torn between completing his studies and returning to work in Gaza’s health system, exemplifies this dilemma. Despite his eagerness to contribute, financial constraints prevent him from flying back to his homeland where the need for medical professionals is urgent.
Cuban President Diaz Canel leads a demonstration for Palestine by the US Embassy
Cuba has always been a staunch supporter of Palestinian rights and sovereignty. After the outbreak of the Gaza war, President Miguel Diaz-Canel led a popular march along the central Malecon Boulevard to express support for the Palestinian cause and condemn the crimes of the Israeli occupation.
In late November, following the Israeli order to shut down Al Mayadeen’s presence in occupied Palestine, Cuba expressed its solidarity with the network and its global mission to defend the truth.
“Once again, the U.S. and Israeli regimes demonstrate their fear of the defenders of truth and seek to silence them,” stated Cuba’s ambassador to Lebanon, Jorge Leon Cruz.
Source: Al Mayadeen, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English