1 in 5 amputees in Gaza is a child, UN warns amid prosthetic care crisis

The UN on Monday warned that one in five amputees in the Gaza Strip is a child, as a critical shortage of prosthetic specialists and restricted entry of materials leave thousands without adequate care.

"On health, concerns remain over skin diseases and other medical issues linked to the presence of pests and rodents," said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news conference, adding that more than 6,600 people need prosthetic and rehabilitation care.

"That includes thousands of people who have received amputations since October 2023, yet only eight prosthetic technicians are available to respond," he said.

Warning that "with severe shortages of specialists and restricted entry of prosthetic materials, it could take five years or more to meet today's needs," Dujarric stressed that "one in five amputees is a child."

Dujarric stressed that "international prosthetic technicians are urgently needed, as well as the unimpeded entry of prosthetic materials, which remain restricted by the Israeli authorities."

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.

It launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.