UN: 10 children lose limbs in Gaza daily amid Israeli attacks

The UN-sponsored Global Protection Cluster reported on July 15th that at least ten children in Gaza are losing one or both legs every day, according to Middle East Eye.

The report warned that ongoing Israeli attacks have “destroyed the protection environment” for people with disabilities and those newly injured in the enclave. Since the war broke out in October 2023, more than 134,000 people, including over 40,500 children, have sustained war-related injuries, 25% of whom require long-term and acute rehabilitation.

“There is no safe space in Gaza. Twenty months of intense hostilities have destroyed the protection environment for persons with disabilities and older persons,” the report stated. “Over 35,000 people are believed to have significant hearing damage due to explosions. Ten children per day lose one or both of their legs.”

Gaza’s only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation centre has been out of service since December 2023 due to shortages in supplies and medical staff. The facility was further damaged in Israeli airstrikes in February 2024, cutting off life-saving services for both children and adults.

The toll on children has been particularly severe. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 17,000 of the 58,573 Palestinians killed since October 2023 are children. They also make up 30% of total injuries. On average, 15 children per day are acquiring life-altering disabilities, the ministry reported.

Back in December, the UN warned that Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. “Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita anywhere in the world—many losing limbs and undergoing surgeries without even anaesthesia,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

UNICEF has also issued a warning, noting that acutely malnourished children face a tenfold increase in the “likelihood of dying from simple causes.” James Elder, UNICEF’s spokesperson, added that access to hospitals in Gaza is no longer safe for ill or malnourished children.

On July 15th, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported that one in ten children screened at its Gaza clinics is now suffering from malnutrition.

“Our health teams are confirming that malnutrition rates are increasing in Gaza, especially since the [Israeli] siege was tightened more than four months ago on the second of March,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications, in a briefing from Geneva.

Multiple humanitarian agencies continue to warn that famine is imminent, particularly in northern Gaza, where aid access remains severely restricted.

Middle East Eye, Global Protection Cluster, Maghrebi.org