Sat Mar 15 13:41:34 UTC 2025: ## Gaza’s Child Amputee Crisis Deepens Amidst Ongoing Healthcare Collapse

**Gaza City, Palestine –** Two months after a ceasefire ended the latest hostilities, Gaza faces a devastating humanitarian crisis, with a particularly acute shortage of care for its growing number of child amputees. The territory, already struggling with a collapsed healthcare system due to months of intense bombardment, now holds the world’s highest per capita rate of child amputations.

According to the World Health Organization, over 22,500 Gazans have sustained life-altering injuries since October 7, 2023, including thousands of amputations. At the height of the conflict, reports indicated more than 10 children were losing limbs daily, often undergoing procedures without anesthesia due to a lack of resources.

The recent cessation of aid deliveries exacerbates the situation. Hospitals and clinics, particularly in the north, lie in ruins, forcing humanitarian organizations to provide basic care in makeshift tents. Essential medical supplies are dwindling, leaving thousands, including countless children who have lost limbs, without proper treatment or rehabilitation.

Eyewitness accounts from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital detail the harrowing reality. Doctors described treating young children, some as young as one, who lost limbs in the conflict and are now without adequate care. The destruction of the Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics has further crippled the ability to provide prosthetics and crucial rehabilitation services. The closure of the Rafah border crossing prevents patients from seeking treatment abroad.

The ongoing crisis extends beyond the immediate physical needs. The lack of access to psychological support leaves children grappling with severe trauma, creating a silent epidemic of emotional distress. Unless aid is consistently allowed into Gaza, and the blockade lifted, the long-term consequences for these children and the wider population will be devastating. The rebuilding of Gaza’s healthcare system, experts warn, will take years.

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