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Rabat – The ongoing war on Gaza has led to a disturbing surge in child amputations, with an average of 10 children losing one or both legs each day, according to Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva today, Lazzarini highlighted the dire conditions under which these amputations are performed, often without anesthesia.
Citing UNICEF data, Lazzarini said that approximately 2,000 children have undergone painful amputations over the 260 days of war. He emphasized that these numbers do not account for other severe injuries, including the loss of arms and hands, which are also prevalent.
In addition to the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) merciless attacks, starvation and dehydration also place a huge toll on Gazan children. According to Gaza officials, at least 40 Palestinian children have died in the besieged strip due to malnutrition amid a severe shortage of food, water, and medical supplies.
Doctor Kamal Abu Safiyya, head of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, told Al Jazeera that “many children die as a result of poor nutrition.” He added, “we’ve documented many cases where children were suffering acute malnutrition.”
In this respect, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General highlighted the challenges of delivering aid to the war-torn strip. “When it comes to the aid delivery, it’s becoming more and more complicated. It has been extraordinarily excruciating over the last few weeks to bring aid,” he said. “Far too many trucks have been looted [or] have not reached destination.”
Lazzarini also brought attention to the IOF’s targeting of aid workers and organizations, including UN agencies. “On the ground, the UN and UNRWA have been targeted. We have paid a heavy price.”
He also warned that the agency’s resources would be depleted by the end of August, citing a $140 million deficit needed to sustain operations through the end of the year. The funding crisis has been exacerbated by allegations from Israel accusing several UNRWA employees of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack, leading many countries, including the United States, to suspend their conrtibutions.
