Medics in Gaza Crisis and Rehabilitation Works with the Injured in Gaza. Rafah’s mobile clinics are one of the few beacons of hope in southern Gaza. It is here that thousands of Palestinians, who were gravely injured during the Gaza conflict that lasted for one year, receive groundbreaking prosthetic limbs. Among them is Rizeq Tafish, a blacksmith, whose leg was amputated after being injured by Israeli tank fire in June. Four months of immobility have just been put behind him and the first steps mark a journey from despair to hope.
Since this war has begun, the United Nations World Health Organization reports 94,000 people have been injured in Gaza. Furthermore, more than 24,000 of those are said to have injuries that, for life, would limit movement or otherwise incapacitate victims with amputations, spinal injuries, or extreme burns. The access to health treatment is critically limited; of 36 hospitals in Gaza, only 16 are now operational, and health provisions that include wheelchairs and crutches are available at only 12%.
Advanced Prosthetics-Jordanian Doctors
An innovative joint medical program with Jordanian physicians propels advanced British prosthetic technology forward for quick relief. Two firms, Koalaa and Amparo, in Britain, invented novel prosthetic designs and direct molding that let the product’s two-hour manufacturing and fitting. Lieutenant Abdullah Hamada of the Jordanian Army says: “It’s an almost rapid-manufacture solution, turning patients’ lives practically overnight around.”.
The program, funded by the Jordanian government and a charity, has already helped dozens, with plans to mobilize clinics across Gaza to address the high demand for prosthetics. Every prosthetic limb costs about $1,400, and every fitting is digitally tracked to enable remote follow-up care.
The young and resilient
Such young victims as sisters Hanan and Misk al-Doubri, who lost both mother and legs in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah, try to summarize the human cost of the conflict. Their aunt describes how hard it is for her to comfort the children in general, but especially Hanan, who asks incessantly about her mother and where her legs are gone. And yet rehabilitation workers speak of giving such young survivors access to such resources and support.
A similar resilience story is that of 15-year-old Diya al-Adini, who lost his arms in a bombing. He wants to be the world’s most famous photographer. He continues snapping the world through the lens with the help of his older sister and wants to rebuild his life just through sheer willpower and hope for new prosthetics.
For Tafish, having his leg back is more than just the return of being able to walk; it restores his self. “I still consider myself whole and complete,” he says with renewed hope, and he wants to go back to work and rebuild his life. His story personifies the resilience in Gaza as many more adapt with strength and dignity to new realities.
This report describes the humanitarian crisis that persists in Gaza, combined with the exceptional efforts of medical teams working within extremely stringent resource limitations to bring more basic, life-changing assistance.
