Unrwa chief: Gaza seeing a 'pandemic of disabilities'
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), has said that Israel's war on Gaza has caused "an epidemic of traumatic injuries," with no rehabilitation services available.
"During this war, people needing special care have suffered in silence. Their stories rarely told," Lazzarini said in a post on X.
He added that Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world, with many undergoing amputations without anaesthesia.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in four Palestinians injured in Israel's war on Gaza have suffered life-changing injuries and will require rehabilitation services.
#Gaza, a pandemic of #disabilities.
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) December 3, 2024
Before the war, one in five families surveyed had at least one person with disabilities. Nearly half of them included a child with disabilities.
During this war, people needing special care have suffered in silence.
Their stories rarely… pic.twitter.com/oLh4GDKgi6