The World Health Organization, WHO, has described the “life-changing injuries” suffered by 167,376 people in Gaza since Israel’s military operation began in October 2023.
According to the latest update, nearly 42,000 people are living with serious wounds caused by the conflict, one in four of them children, while over 5,000 have undergone amputation.
Drawing on a larger pool of data and its analysis, the WHO listed other severe injuries, including more than 22,000 to arms and legs, over 2,000 to the spinal cord, and more than 1,300 to the brain.
Equally widespread are major burns (over 3,300), further increasing the demand for specialised surgical and rehabilitation services for patients and their families across Gaza.
The new report also highlights the rising number of facial and eye injuries, particularly among patients listed for medical evacuation outside Gaza. These conditions often result in disability, disfigurement and social stigma.
The health system is on the brink of collapse, with only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals partially functional. A handful of pre-conflict rehabilitation services that remain operational now face imminent closure.
The WHO decried the war’s impact on the health workforce, noting that many of the 1,700 physiotherapists and therapists have been displaced, with at least 42 killed as of late last year.
Despite the high number of amputations, Gaza has only eight prosthetists to manufacture and fit artificial limbs. Care providers are also experiencing extreme stress and suffering, the report noted.
Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, said rehabilitation is vital not only for trauma recovery but also for people with chronic conditions and disabilities.
He emphasised that the rehabilitation burden in Gaza is far greater due to widespread displacement, disease, malnutrition and the lack of assistive products.
“Conflict-related injuries carry a profound mental health toll,” Peeperkorn said. “Mental health and psychosocial support must be integrated and scaled up alongside rehabilitation.”
