UNITED NATIONS, May 5 — Humanitarians are warning of the lack of prosthetic and rehabilitation care in Gaza for amputees, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday.
OCHA said its partners reported that more than 6,600 amputees, one in five a child, need prosthetic and rehabilitation care, including thousands newly amputated since October 2023.
Yet only eight prosthetic technicians are available to respond. “With severe shortages of specialists and restricted entry of prosthetic materials, it could take five years or more to meet today’s needs, assuming no further amputations occur,” OCHA said, quoting its partners.
“International prosthetic technicians are urgently needed, as is the expansion of workshop capacity and the unimpeded entry of prosthetic materials, which remain restricted by the Israeli authorities.”
In a post on X over the weekend, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said that the humanitarian community continues to work to help Palestinians in Gaza.
The work has saved lives, averted famine and restored essential services. He said there was much more to do, including sustained access, protection of civilians, neutrality and partnership.
The UN relief chief said the world body’s humanitarian partners delivered tents, sealing-off materials, bedding, and other supplies to nearly 4,500 households.
Fletcher said some improved emergency shelters in Khan Younis “are made from available materials such as plastic sheets” to provide displaced families with immediate solutions and can be upgraded as soon as restricted materials are allowed entry.
“Health partners report concerns about skin diseases and other medical issues linked to the presence of pests and rodents,” he added. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
