Gaza: Explosive weapons left 15 children a day with potentially lifelong disabilities in 2024. January 14, 2025. Reliefweb. Key Points.

Detailed points highlighting the humanitarian crisis affecting children in Gaza due to explosive weapons in 2024 and early 2025:

Impact on Children’s Health and Disabilities

Injury and Disability Statistics:

On average, 475 children per month (15 per day) sustained injuries leading to potential lifelong disabilities in 2024.

At least 5,230 children required significant rehabilitation support that was inaccessible due to the ongoing conflict.

Injuries include loss of limbs, hearing impairments, and vision loss.

Psychological trauma and mental health issues remain pervasive but largely undocumented.

Decimation of Gaza’s Health System:

Gaza’s only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation center ceased functioning in December 2023.

Medical facilities suffer from severe shortages of staff, medical supplies, and equipment due to restrictions on aid entry.

Treatment for complex injuries and prosthetic adjustments for growing children is currently impossible in Gaza.

Key Challenges to Treatment and Rehabilitation

Unhealed Wounds Due to Malnutrition:

Malnourished children face severe complications in wound healing, leading to increased amputations.

Inaccessible Specialist Care:

Regular prosthetic reviews needed every six months are unattainable.

Children requiring long-term orthopedic care risk crippling secondary health problems, such as osteoarthritis and spinal deformities.

Real-life Stories

Ahmad’s Story:

A five-year-old boy lost his father and one arm when a shelter school was bombed.

Ahmad expressed his grief by asking for a clay arm and a clay "Baba" (father) during a counseling session.

He was one of the few children evacuated to Egypt for treatment, but thousands of others remain trapped without care.

Medical Experts’ Perspectives

Dr. Ana Jeelani emphasized that injuries to growing bones result in permanent growth cessation and deformities.

Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah reported that many babies have suffered amputations before learning to walk, affecting developmental milestones and coordination.

Long-Term Health Implications

Children who lost limbs face risks of:

Joint replacements in their 20s or 30s due to disproportionate pressure on healthy joints.

Early osteoarthritis and spinal deformities.

Mental Health Crisis

Children experience severe emotional trauma from witnessing violence and losing loved ones.

Access to mental health services is limited despite the growing need for psychological support.

International and Humanitarian Response

Save the Children’s Efforts:

Active in Gaza since 1953, providing vital aid, including food, water, hygiene kits, and winter supplies.

Reached over 1 million people across 50 locations in Gaza.

Delivered child-friendly spaces, mental health programming, and malnutrition treatment.

Calls for Action:

Ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid access are urgently needed.

Governments supplying weapons must be held accountable under international law.

World Health Organization (WHO):

Reports that 22,500 people in Gaza have life-changing injuries requiring long-term rehabilitation.

Existing chronic conditions worsen due to collapsed healthcare services.

Legal and Human Rights Considerations

The International Court of Justice warns of a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza.

Save the Children urges the lifting of restrictions on aid and an immediate end to violence affecting children.

Conclusion

The compounded effects of war injuries, health system collapse, and mental trauma threaten the future of Palestinian society. Urgent, sustained international intervention is critical to preventing further humanitarian catastrophe.

Source:

https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-explosive-weapons-left-15-children-day-potentially-lifelong-disabilities-2024

Comments

Columbia President ( Katrina Armstrong) Is Replaced as Trump Threatens University’s Funding. Key Points. NYTimes

Key Points & Further Details on Columbia University Leadership Change 1. Presidential Change at Columbia University Katrina Armstrong stepped down as interim president of Columbia University. Claire Shipman , a journalist and Columbia alumna, was named acting president . Armstrong’s departure marks Columbia’s third leadership change since August 2024. 2. Trigger for Leadership Change The Trump administration threatened to withhold $400 million in federal funding from Columbia. This funding is roughly 20% of the university’s operating revenue . The university ultimately complied with government demands , causing internal and external backlash . 3. Government Demands & Columbia’s Compliance Columbia agreed to: Employ 36 campus safety officers with arrest powers . Adopt a formal definition of antisemitism . Review admissions policies . Increase oversight of its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department . These changes sparked faculty and...

Havens for Open Debate Or Enforcers of Political Orthodoxy. From Mahmood Khalil to Rumeysa Ozturk: The Rising Cost of Pro-Palestinian Activism on Campus.

The case of Rumeysa Ozturk , a Tufts University student detained by federal authorities , along with earlier incidents like that of Mahmood Khalil of Columbia University, raises serious concerns about the targeting of international students for their political views, particularly regarding Palestine-Israel discourse. This situation has broader implications for academic freedom, free speech, and the reputation of U.S. universities abroad , especially given the significant financial and intellectual contributions of international students to American higher education. --- 1. Impact on International Students: A Revenue & Reputation Concern - Financial Contribution : International students contribute $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy, with universities relying heavily on their tuition fees (often at higher out-of-state rates). - Chilling Effect : Cases like Ozturk’s and Khalil’s may deter prospective students from applying, fearing political perse...

Why Netanyahu Chose to Blow Up the Ceasefire and Return to War" Key Points. Mondoweiss

Key Points from the Article: "Why Netanyahu Chose to Blow Up the Ceasefire and Return to War" 1. Israel’s Resumption of War Israel resumed its military assault on Gaza early Tuesday, killing over 400 Palestinians , including 130 children . Key figures in Gaza’s civil administration were also targeted to weaken Hamas’s governance . 2. The Ceasefire Agreement and Israel’s Stalling Tactics A ceasefire deal was brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S . two months prior. The second phase of the deal included discussions about ending the war and reconstructing Gaza in exchange for Israeli captives . Netanyahu stalled , aiming to release captives without committing to ending the war . 3. Israel’s Blockade and Its Impact In early March , Israel blocked the Rafah crossing and cut off humanitarian aid , causing a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza . Prices of goods soared , bakeries shut down , and hospitals ran out of fuel . 4. Hamas’s Unexpected Move ...

Ignoring Massacres in Gaza City While Protesting for Democracy in Tel Aviv, Hanin Majadli. Key Points. Haaretz

Brief introduction of Hanin Majadli Hanin Majadli Hanin Majadli is a Palestinian Israeli journalist and editor at Haaretz , Israel's liberal-leaning newspaper. She holds a bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic and Islamic Studies from Tel Aviv University. As an opinion columnist, Majadli focuses on the experiences and challenges of Arab-Palestinian communities in Israel , examining their complex relationships with the state and its Jewish citizens . She gives particular attention to the history of the Nakba and its deliberate omission from Israel's social and political narrative. In her role as editor of Haaretz 's Arabic edition , Majadli aims to broaden the reach of alternative Israeli perspectives, presenting journalistic work that diverges from mainstream Israeli media. Before joining Haaretz, Majadli founded a popular spoken Arabic school in Tel Aviv, promoting Arabic language and culture . She has also been active in addressing pol...

Price Tag Attackers: Extremist Settler Violence in the West Bank.

Year-by-year breakdown of documented " Price Tag" attacks in the West Bank and Israel , based on reports from UN OCHA , B’Tselem , Yesh Din , and Israeli media (Haaretz, Times of Israel). Introduction to "Price Tag" Attackers "Price Tag" attackers are extremist Israeli settlers , primarily affiliated with radical right-wing groups, who carry out violent acts agains Palestinians, Israeli security forces, and left-wing activists in retaliation for perceived threats to Jewish settlements in the West Bank . The term refers to the " price " they seek to impose for actions like outpost demolitions or Palestinian attacks on Israelis. - Vandalism, arson, or violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians, Israeli security forces, or left-wing activists. - Often involves graffiti (e.g., "Price Tag," "Revenge," or "Arabs Out"). - Retaliation for Palestinian attacks, outpost demolitions, or Israeli gover...

Ainnbeen

Search This Blog