WHO: 3 Children a Month in Gaza Left Disabled for Life
PALESTINE - ISRAEL, 10 Jun 2019
The Middle East Monitor – TRANSCEND Media Service
Palestinian student Mohammed Abu Hussain from Gaza, who lost his leg after being shot by an Israeli sniper during “Great March of Return” demonstrations, sits on a chair holding his crutches at the playground of his school in Gaza City, Gaza on 3 September 2018. [Ali Jadallah – Anadolu Agency]
The report by the WHO, released on Friday [31 May], cited data collected between March 2018 and March 2019, and stated that in the past year alone, a total of 172 Gazans were injured in such a way that they were left disabled for life, 36 of whom were children, meaning that one person is affected every other day.
Amputations make up an overwhelming proportion of permanent disabilities, with the most common cause being high-intensity gunshot wounds resulting in 121 amputations. Health agencies and organisations have warned that the number could rise if Gaza’s medical services are not urgently upgraded.
The report stated that these upgraded health services would cater for between 1,209 and 1,746 patients who have required specialised tertiary treatment in order to recover from their injuries, and warned that “without this treatment being made available in Gaza, the number of amputations may drastically increase in 2019.”
UN: Health Funding Gap Means 1,700 in Gaza May Face Amputations
Throughout the past year, Israeli fire killed around 305 Palestinians in Gaza and injured 28,104; 92 per cent of whom were male and eight per cent of whom were female. Of those wounded, 22 per cent – or 4,673 – were children.
Two Palestinian amputee men sit in the waiting room at the ICRC for Artificial limbs and Polio Center (ALPC) in Gaza City on 25 October, 2018.
[THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images]
Palestinians, in particular the elderly, sick and disabled, come together to call for international efforts to save Gaza from the humanitarian crisis,
[Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
Why Are We Seeing Such International Apathy towards the Palestinians?
Furthermore, Israeli attacks on hospitals and medical centres throughout recent years have exacerbated the health crisis in the enclave, hindering medical services and the deployment of foreign emergency medical teams. This has put an enormous amount of strain on the already-frail health care system in Gaza, which suffers from a lack of personnel, upgraded technology, and essential medical resources which has been made worse due to the land, sea, and air blockade imposed on the Strip by Israel since 2007.
“Trauma interventions in Gaza are not only a response to the emergency but also a longer-term investment in building the capacity of the health system to address the critical service gaps that have persisted for years,” said Gerald Rockenschaub, head of WHO’s office for the occupied Palestinian territory.
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Related:
· WHO details mental health impact for Palestinians under Israel occupation – May 23, 2019
· UN: Health funding gap means 1,700 in Gaza may face amputations – May 8, 2019
· Israel army finds ‘no evidence’ it killed disabled Gaza protester – May 20, 2019
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