As the war in Gaza has continued for more than a year, human damage has intensified. Gaza now holds the sad record for the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world, with many undergoing surgeries without even receiving adequate anesthesia, the UN Refugee Agency said Palestinians (UNRWA).
According to data provided by UNRWA, nearly 26,000 individuals have suffered serious injuries over the past 14 months. In addition to the victims of the bombings, medical personnel find themselves in a deplorable situation, forced to witness the death of people with treatable illnesses due to lack of medicines and adequate medical facilities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that one in four people injured during the conflict suffered injuries with devastating consequences, requiring rehabilitation services, particularly for amputations and spinal cord injuries.
It should be recalled that on May 27, 2024, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reported that before the outbreak of the conflict on October 7, 2023, 21% of households in Gaza reported having at least one family member in a situation of disability. Around 58,000 people with disabilities were registered in the official database of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
These figures on the injured in the Palestinian enclave come as more than 30 people were reportedly killed Thursday evening in Nuseirat. “ Horrifying images show young children covered in dust and blood in the rubble of a collapsed building. Daily pain and suffering have become the norm “, UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said from Nuseirat at a regular UN press conference in Geneva. Additionally, UNRWA medical teams continue to provide care to an average of 500 high-risk pregnant and post-natal women every day.
« Doctors report that they are losing the lives of premature babies every day due to lack of ventilation and an increase in the number of premature babies who need special milk that is not available “added Wateridge. This phenomenon is also due to malnutrition of mothers.
In addition, nearly 19,000 children have been hospitalized over the past four months due to acute malnutrition, a figure that represents almost double the cases reported during the first half of the year. However, persistent hostilities, particularly in the northern governorate of Gaza, which has been under siege for more than two months, are making it considerably more difficult for traumatized patients to access the essential medical care necessary for their survival. Access to basic services has also been severely restricted, and in this difficult context, UNRWA remains a lifeline for the people of Gaza.
The agency accounts for more than half of the people who have benefited from health services since October of the previous year, having provided approximately 6.7 million medical consultations in the Gaza Strip until December 1.
However, UNRWA laboratory services are currently limited to only three tests out of the 35 available before the outbreak of conflict. Nearly 70% of UNRWA’s medical supplies are at critical levels, with stocks lasting less than a month. Some supplies of insulin will only be available for 7 to 10 days, while insulin syringes are out of stock. Additionally, medications such as insulin and other supplies are blocked in Al Arish.
UNRWA warns that drug supplies in its health centers are at an all-time low, and at least 60 items will run out within a month. Obstacles to access, combined with the limited number of safe and viable routes to deliver supplies into the Gaza Strip, are exacerbating an already alarming crisis, leading to shortages of medicines and essential medical supplies across the entire Palestinian enclave. .
