Gaza's Young Amputees Fight for Mobility

The aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war has left thousands in Gaza grappling with amputations and the urgent need for medical care. Individuals like Haneen al-Mabhouh, who lost four daughters and a leg in an Israeli strike, and Yassin Marouf, who lost a foot and is recovering from severe leg injuries, represent the profound personal toll of the conflict. Their daily struggles underscore the immense challenges faced by survivors in regaining basic mobility.

The scale of the crisis is staggering, with the World Health Organization estimating between 5,000 and 6,000 amputees, a quarter of them children. These individuals often face lengthy waits for prosthetic limbs or crucial medical evacuations abroad. Local facilities, such as the Artificial Limbs and Polio Center in Gaza City, are critically under-resourced and inundated with patients, struggling to meet the demand for artificial limbs.

While some aid has arrived, the need remains dire. Patients like al-Mabhouh and Marouf face months of uncertainty, their potential for recovery hinging on access to specialized treatment and timely evacuations. Bureaucratic and logistical hurdles continue to impede the flow of medical assistance, leaving many lives frozen in a state of precarious waiting for mobility, dignity, and hope.