Thousands of children in the heart of wounded Gaza stand before a harsh test far beyond their age.

They do not cling to toys or school like other children around the world, but to a small hope of receiving a prosthetic limb that may restore their ability to stand again.

The Director General of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, confirmed that the Strip is facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe regarding amputation injuries, noting that around 5,000 amputees in Gaza, including 2,000 children, are urgently waiting for prosthetic limbs.

Abu Salmiya says these figures are not merely medical statistics but stories of pain and suffering, intensified by the lack of medical resources under the ongoing siege. He adds: “There are no prosthetic limbs available in the Strip, and the tools needed to manufacture them are not present, making the ability of these children to regain a normal life nearly impossible.”

Congenital deformities and an uncertain fate

Medical indicators show a noticeable increase in cases of congenital deformities among newborns, which doctors link to the use of internationally prohibited weapons and the deterioration of health and nutritional conditions in the Strip, where thousands of families suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

A danger beyond the body

Delays in providing prosthetic limbs not only mean permanent disability but can also pose a life-threatening risk in some cases due to medical complications, as Abu Salmiya explains. He stresses that delays in fitting prosthetics may lead to severe infections, muscle weakness, and overall deterioration of patients’ health.

Yet the greatest pain remains psychological. Children in Gaza who have lost their limbs face not only physical pain but deep psychological trauma that may accompany them for life. Specialists say many amputee children suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and social isolation in the absence of psychological and therapeutic support systems.

A humanitarian cry

Amid this bleak reality, the medical sector in Gaza sends an urgent appeal to the international community and humanitarian organizations to provide essential equipment and prosthetic limbs and to facilitate the transfer of patients to specialized centers outside the Strip.

With the absence of medical support, the future of thousands of children becomes a daily battle with pain—waiting for a helping hand that might return life to them.