A retired New Zealand heart surgeon and his wife are touring the country to raise awareness and money for medical charities in Gaza, saying they fear the humanitarian crisis has faded from public attention.
Alan Kerr, 91, and his wife Hazel, 87, have spent recent months screening a documentary about the two decades they volunteered in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The documentary, A Doctor's Wife, highlighted Alan's work helping save the lives of more than 800 Palestinian children through cardiac surgery, and showcased Hazel's work educating students at schools in the West Bank.
The couple had spent recent months touring the country urging Kiwis to remember support was still needed for medical charities in Gaza.
"It’s been totally off the news since the war in Iran," Alan told 1News
Hazel agreed. "They’ve forgotten about it, and they’ve also heard so much horror from Gaza. I think they’ve almost switched off."
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said around 1200 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 4000 injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire in October last year.
Israel said it had continued targeting Hamas infrastructure and weapons sites.
The pair said they were devastated by the ongoing violence and wanted New Zealanders to remember that people were still living through it.
“We just feel that we must do what we can to help,” Alan said.
A charity established by Alan and Hazel during their time in the occupied Palestinian territories continued to operate, having recently delivered tents sheltering more than 1000 displaced people in Gaza.
They were recognised as New Zealand's 2026 Senior New Zealanders of the Year earlier this year, for their two decades of volunteer work.
Lifetime of service
Prior to retirement from medicine, Alan was a member of Greenlane Hospital's pioneering heart surgery unit, operating on two New Zealand prime ministers during his career.
His humanitarian work in Gaza alongside his wife began after retirement.
Asked why he had decided not to slow down at 91, Kerr laughed.
“It would be boring," he said. "I suppose it’s become a bit of a passion for us."
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