The Stream

The amputee crisis in the war on Gaza

Experts warn about ‘the largest cohort of paediatric amputees in history’.

Amputees in Gaza are at risk of fatal complications because of a lack of proper medical treatment, according to Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym MSF). The majority of the amputations being performed would have be preventable under normal circumstances.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 86,969 people have been injured in Israel’s war on the enclave, with at least 12,000 estimated to be children, many suffering irreversible injuries.

The United Nations childrens Fund (UNICEF) says that between October and January, at least 1,000 children lost one or both legs.  Many of these amputations were performed without anaesthesia, underscoring the dire medical conditions in Gaza.

In this episode we explore how these amputees navigate life amid a collapsed medical system and continuing genocide, raising questions about their futures and aspirations.

Presenter: Anelise Borges

Guests:
Yassin Al Ghalban – 11-year-old amputee
Sobhi Soboh – Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
Dr James Smith – Emergency physician
Karim Ali – Gaza Sunbirds co-founder