As the war in Gaza rages on, the grim toll on human life continues to pile up as children and young adults have their lives irrevocably altered due to the bombs and explosions that have wreaked havoc upon their lives following the vents of October 7.
Reuters is reporting that more than 1,000 children have lost limbs due to the fighting in Gaza and the West Bank. Amputees need special medical attention. Most of the injuries have come due to blast and crush injuries resulting from retaliatory strikes in densely populated civilian areas.
Amoung them, as Reuters also revealed, is Noor. Noor, an eleven-year-old from Jabalia, Gaza, suffered severe injuries to her left leg during an explosion that struck her home in October. Currently, her right leg, equipped with a substantial metal bar and four screws implanted into the bone, is at risk of requiring amputation.
"It hurts me a lot ... I'm afraid that they'll have to cut off my other leg," she expressed while lying in her hospital bed, as Reuters disclosed.
"I used to run and play, I was so happy with my life, but now when I lost my leg, my life became ugly and I got sad. I hope I can get an artificial limb."
The Israeli military has said that they do their best to avoid civilian casualties and pointed out that Hamas' strategy of hiding amid civilian structures is largely to blame.
The collapse in the medical infrastructure of Gaza means many children aren't getting the much-needed follow-up care they need as their bones continue to grow.
One estimate finds that only 30% of pre-conflict medics are still working, according to the World Health Organization.
According to UNICEF, nearly a quarter of amputation injuries occur among children. Poor hygiene and a lack of medical supplies are making many of the injuries unsurvivable.
The enclave's main prosthetic limb center, the Qatari-funded Hamad hospital in Gaza City, was shuttered weeks ago after being hit by Israel, Gaza health authorities say.
"Many limbs that apparently had been saved, will go on to require amputation. And many (people with) amputations and limbs that we think have been saved may still go on to die of the longer term consequences ," said Dr. Chris Hook, doctor specializing in emergency medicine from the United Kingdom, affiliated with the medical charity MSF, arrived back from Gaza in the latter part of December.
"I try as much as I can to make things easier for them as a nurse, but no matter what you do, they have severe psychological problems, they feel incomplete with lots of pain," said nurse Wafa Hamdan told the Reuters.
More than 9,000 children have been injured in the Gaza Strip. UNICEF statistics claim that 12% of Palestinian children aged 2-17 faced one or more functional difficulties, while 21% of households in Gaza included at least one member with physical or mental disabilities before the war. Despite limited data currently available, estimates suggest a significant rise in the incidence of disabilities among children.
