GAA members from across Counties Tyrone and Derry are to hold a major fundraising drive to help sick Palestinian children this weekend.
Sunday’s event at Healy Park in Omagh has been organised in support of the Gaza Paediatric Care Initiative (GPCI), which helps children in the region.
A not-for-profit organisation, which was founded in 2023, GPCI includes doctors, nurses, and health care professionals from across Ireland.
Since October last year more than 43,000 people, including thousands of women and children, have been killed as a result of Israel’s continuing onslaught in Gaza.
Geraldine McMahon, whose husband Joe McMahon is a former All-Ireland winner with Tyrone, is helping to organise Sunday’s fundraiser.
“The terror being rained down on the people of Palestine is hard to comprehend and cannot be justified,” she said.
“Children, in particular, are bearing the brunt of this crisis, growing up in a world marked by violence, desperate fear, and uncertainty.”
Ms McMahon urged members of the public to support fundraising “for this crucial humanitarian effort”.
“We must collectively unite to use our voices to speak up for the innocent and vulnerable caught in this horror,” she said.
GPCI has already raised and sent £300,000 to Medical Aid Palestine for vital life-saving medicines and helped the Irish Red Cross provide housing.
It has also partnered with Children Not Numbers to deliver food parcels to starving doctors and nurses working around the clock in hospitals in Gaza.
The group has been asked by the Irish government to help in the evacuation of 30 sick children, who are currently stranded in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Co-founder Dr Nuala Quinn, a native of Cookstown in Co Tyrone, said more help is needed.
“Some of these children have horrendous injuries from bombs, and some are unable to access life-saving medicines for diseases such as haemophilia,” she said.
“When these families arrive to Ireland, they are going to need a huge amount of support and help from the Irish community.
“They will be coming with nothing.”
Dr Quinn urged the GAA community to “rally” for those in need.
“Whilst we have put thousands of hours into this over the past year, the hard work is now going to begin and we need all the financial and social help we can get,” she said.
Spotswear provider MFC is supporting the fundraising initiative and will launch a special GPCI jersey in conjunction with Sunday’s event, which can be bought on the day.
The fundraising coffee morning will take place at Healy Park in Omagh on Sunday between 10am-12 noon with all proceeds going to GPCI.
