Charity Reports over 10 Children Losing Legs Daily in Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Save the Children revealed on Sunday that, on average, over 10 children a day in Gaza have lost one or both of their legs since October 7.
The charity highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, emphasizing that many amputations were conducted without anesthesia due to shortages in medical supplies after more than three months of Israeli bombardment.
Citing United Nations statistics, Jason Lee, Save the Children's director for the occupied Palestinian territory, condemned the "suffering of children in this conflict," describing it as unimaginable and unnecessary. Lee emphasized the need to hold perpetrators accountable for the killing and maiming of children.
The charity referred to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, who stated on December 19 that around 1,000 children had lost limbs since October 7. The World Health Organization also noted that many operations on children were performed without anesthesia due to shortages in medical supplies.
Lee expressed concern about the overwhelming situation faced by doctors and nurses treating children with blast wounds, emphasizing the urgency for a definitive ceasefire to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and medicines.
“The impact of seeing children in that much pain and not having the equipment, medicines to treat them or alleviate pain is too much for even experienced professionals,” he said.
Children are nearly seven times more likely to die from blast injuries than adults, according to Save the Children, which called for urgent action to protect vulnerable children in Gaza.
“Their skulls are still not fully formed, and their undeveloped muscles offer less protection, so a blast is more likely to tear apart organs in their abdomen, even when there’s no visible damage,” Lee said, calling for a “definitive ceasefire” to allow the flow of humanitarian aid and medicines.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that nearly 23,000 Palestinians killed and more than 58,000 injured, including 9,600 children in Gaza since October 7.
The UN Relief and Works Agency highlighted that almost 90% of Gaza's 2 million population has been forcibly displaced due to Israel's war on Gaza. UNICEF warned of a triple threat to children in Gaza, including the danger of conflict, malnutrition, and disease.
Cases of diarrhea in children under 5 surged by 2,000%, and 90% of children under 2 are now subject to severe food poverty, according to UNICEF. The agency emphasized that the combination of malnutrition and disease creates a deadly cycle, especially among displaced families facing poor hygiene conditions.
UN emergency relief official Martin Griffiths warned of an impending famine, describing Gaza as becoming uninhabitable. The report revealed a public health disaster with sewers overflowing and infectious diseases spreading in overcrowded shelters, adding that Gaza's people are witnessing daily threats to their existence.
