Thousands of children in Gaza have life-changing injuries and need long-term prosthetic and rehabilitation care. Services and supplies are limited, and specialists warn that without regular follow-up, adjustments and replacement prostheses children face long-term harm as they grow.
An eight-year-old boy lost his right leg to shrapnel in June 2025 while his family tried to flee after an airstrike. He was medically evacuated to Jordan and fitted with an above-the-knee prosthesis in November 2025. He began rehabilitation and gait training but returned to Gaza last December before completing the recommended programme. Over the next seven months he grew and the prosthesis no longer fits, causing severe pain and limiting wear to less than an hour. He now uses crutches and a wheelchair and sometimes avoids school because of teasing.
WHO reports that about 10,000 children have sustained life-changing injuries in Gaza since October 2023. Of more than 5,000 people who underwent amputations, one in five is a child. Of 2,300 amputees assessed between September 2024 and May 2026, fewer than 25 per cent were fitted with permanent prosthetics. Local services face gaps: Gaza has nine prosthetic and orthotic professionals, far below suggested global ratios, and shipments of rehabilitation supplies face long clearance delays. Aid groups call for reliable materials, more trained staff and sustained international investment in reconstructive care.
Difficult words
- prosthesis — artificial body part replacing a missing limbprostheses
- rehabilitation — medical treatment to regain movement and skills
- follow-up — regular medical checks after initial treatment
- gait — the way a person walks
- amputation — surgical removal of a limb or partamputations
- evacuate — to move people from danger to safetyevacuated
- assess — to examine and judge a person's conditionassessed
- reconstructive — related to rebuilding or repairing injured body parts
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Discussion questions
- What problems can interrupted rehabilitation and lack of follow-up cause for children with prostheses?
- What kinds of international support would help improve prosthetic and rehabilitation services in Gaza?
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