42,000 people in Gaza, including thousands of children, face lifelong disabilities

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that around 42,000 people in Gaza, a quarter of them children, are living with war-related injuries that have caused permanent disabilities and will require long-term medical care.

According to a WHO report, out of an estimated 167,376 people injured since October 2023, one in four has suffered lasting damage, including more than 5,000 amputations.

Other serious injuries reported include over 22,000 limb injuries, more than 2,000 spinal cord injuries, nearly 1,300 traumatic brain injuries, and over 3,300 severe burns.

These injuries need a “further increasing the need for specialized surgical and rehabilitation services and deeply affecting patients and their families across Gaza.,” the organisation said, noting that “One in four of these injuries are in children.”

WHO’s representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, Richard Peeperkorn, told a press conference: “Lifelong rehabilitation will be essential.”

Gaza’s already fragile health system has been pushed beyond its limits and is unable to cope with the overwhelming needs caused by the conflict. Only 14 out of 36 hospitals remain partially functioning, while rehabilitation services have been reduced to a third of their pre-war capacity.