More than 22,500 people, which is a quarter of the total number of individuals wounded in Gaza since Israel’s offensive began, have sustained life-changing injuries. This means they will require rehabilitation services both immediately and for many years to come, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said these statistics on Thursday.
The injuries include severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injuries, and major burns. Israeli forces entered Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel.
Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, emphasized that the increase in rehabilitation needs is happening at the same time as the widespread collapse of Gaza's healthcare infrastructure.
He stated, "Patients can't get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted, and specialized care for complex injuries is not available, putting patients’ lives at risk. Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to address the enormous rehabilitation needs."
Wound care, physical therapy, and psychological support services are either inaccessible or entirely unavailable, putting thousands of people at risk of further complications, disabilities, or even death. The UN health agency also reported that only 17 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional, and primary healthcare and community-level services are frequently suspended due to insecurity, attacks, and repeated evacuation orders.
Gaza’s sole limb reconstruction and rehabilitation center, located in the Nasser Medical Complex and supported by WHO, has been non-functional since December 2023 due to lack of supplies and staff, and it was further damaged in a raid in February 2024.
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