‘The Israeli army made me choose between my prosthetic limb and wheelchair; I returned to Gaza without my limb.’ Gaza faces severe shortages of components needed to manufacture prosthetic limbs.
Thousands of people have received amputations since October 2023, but only eight prosthetic technicians, and restricted entry of prosthetic materials. It could take five years or more to meet their needs
While Israel continues to maim people in Gaza, it severely restricts the entry of assistive products, including prosthetics, into the Strip, classifying them as “dual-use” items, ostensibly meaning they can have both civilian and military applications.
Inside the hospitals, severe pre-war shortages of equipment and staff have turned the wards into internal battlefields.
After more than two years of a genocidal war, wounded and traumatized Palestinian children stare at an uncertain future.
Some of Gaza’s 2,500 lower-limb amputees have created a football (soccer) team, and they have their sights set on the World Championship.