Over 42,000 people in Gaza living with life-altering injuries: WHO

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 42,000 people, including around 11,000 children, in Gaza are now living with life-changing injuries caused by the ongoing conflict, according to new estimates released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday. The victims include more than 5,000 amputees and thousands with spinal cord, brain, and severe burn injuries. One in four of the injured are children.

WHO stated these catastrophic injuries account for one quarter of all 167,376 reported injuries in Gaza since October 2023, painting a grim picture of long-term rehabilitation needs that the enclave’s collapsing health system is ill-equipped to meet.

Over 22,000 people have suffered limb injuries, more than 2,000 spinal cord injuries, over 1,300 brain injuries, and at least 3,300 major burns. Complex facial and eye injuries are also widespread, leaving many at risk of disfigurement, disability, and lifelong stigma.

The updated analysis draws on data from 22 WHO-supported Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), Gaza’s Ministry of Health, and partner organisations, providing what the agency said was the most comprehensive assessment yet of rehabilitation requirements stemming from severe trauma.

“The scale of trauma injuries is staggering, and rehabilitation is vital not only for recovery from wounds but also for people with chronic conditions and disabilities,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO’s Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory. “The true rehabilitation burden is far greater than the figures presented here, as displacement, malnutrition, disease, and the lack of assistive products all add to the crisis. Conflict-related injuries also carry a profound mental health toll, with survivors struggling with trauma, loss, and daily survival.”

WHO noted that rehabilitation services in Gaza are close to collapse. Of 36 hospitals in the Strip, only 14 remain partially functional, while less than a third of pre-conflict rehabilitation services are still operating. Even these are at risk of imminent closure due to shortages of supplies and fuel. None are fully functional despite the ongoing efforts of EMTs and health partners.

The conflict has also devastated Gaza’s rehabilitation workforce. Before the war, Gaza had around 1,300 physiotherapists and 400 occupational therapists. Many have since been displaced, while at least 42 were killed as of September 2024.

WHO reported that in a single day, one rehabilitation health worker and two other health staff were killed in an attack. Despite thousands of amputees, Gaza has only eight prosthetists available to manufacture and fit artificial limbs.

WHO and its partners stressed that urgent protection of health care, unhindered access to fuel and medical supplies, and the removal of restrictions on assistive devices are critical to meet immediate needs. The agency also underlined the importance of scaling up mental health and psychosocial support alongside physical rehabilitation.

Above all, the UN health agency renewed its call for an immediate ceasefire. “The people of Gaza deserve peace, the right to health and care, and a chance to heal,” the report concluded.