GAZA HOME TO LARGEST NUMBER OF AMPUTEE CHILDREN IN MODERN HISTORY: UN

Sat 12 October 2024:

Gaza is home to the largest number of amputee children in modern history, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Director of the Financing and Partnerships Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Lisa Doughten, said women and children are hard-hit by the trauma of the war and each day ten children are losing one or both of their legs.

“Gaza is home to the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history,” she said, also noting that women there are three times more likely to miscarry or die from childbirth. “We cannot claim ignorance to what is happening — nor can we afford to look away,” she emphasised, repeating calls for the Council and Member States to act, adding: “These atrocities must end.”

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

She warned that the systematic and permanent targeting of the health sector has deprived more than two million people in the Gaza Strip of receiving basic health services, where more than 50,000 pregnant women are deprived of maternity care.

Amputee children in Gaza represent a deeply tragic consequence of the region’s ongoing conflict. Years of violence, particularly during Israeli airstrikes and ground operations, have left countless children with severe injuries, including the loss of limbs. The 2021 Gaza-Israel conflict alone resulted in thousands of injuries, with children disproportionately affected by explosive weapons and bombings in densely populated areas.

Access to medical care is a major challenge for these children. Gaza’s healthcare system, already under strain due to blockades and shortages of essential supplies, struggles to meet the needs of those requiring specialized treatment such as prosthetics, rehabilitation, and psychological support. Many children face long-term physical and emotional trauma, with limited access to necessary therapies or even basic pain relief.

These children not only face physical challenges but are also often confronted with societal stigma and the long-term impact on their education and future opportunities. Despite these adversities, many show remarkable resilience, supported by their families and communities in the struggle to rebuild their lives amidst the ongoing conflict.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

______________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22