Three surrogate-born babies and their Israeli parents were evacuated from Nepal, according to the Guardian. The families travelled in a small military plane that had transported a team of doctors who were dispatched to aid in the rescue efforts following Saturday’s deadly earthquake.
According to the Guardian report, the babies were the few of many babies born to same-sex male couples in Nepal via surrogate mothers, as surrogacy for gay couples is illegal in Israel. Another 22 babies are awaiting evacuation, along with their parents who had made their way before the earthquake struck.
Yossi Filiba, from Tel Aviv, arrived in Nepal over three weeks ago for the birth of his baby girl, Na’ama. He was feeding his daughter in his apartment when the earthquake struck. “I grabbed the baby, ran down three floors and out to open space. All around us, small buildings were collapsing and people were terrified,” he said. With little food, water or electricity, Filiba and other Israeli couples are anxiously awaiting the Israeli air force to evacuate them.
Surrogate parents tend to arrive in Nepal one month in advance of their child’s birth, in order to arrange the formalities for bringing the baby home, according to Filiba.
An 80-member search-and-rescue team is already in Nepal and the Israeli military plan to send other aircraft with a field hospital and medical personnel later on Monday, said the Guardian.
The revision of Israel’s surrogacy laws are under consideration by Israel’s parliament.
