GAZA — Amidst the ongoing Israeli war on the
Gaza Strip,
approximately 80 percent of individuals with disabilities have lost their
wheelchairs, including both electronic and manual models, as per Al-Ghad.
Additionally, the 2022 health report in Gaza indicated that the number of
registered individuals with disabilities stood at 55,538, with motor
disabilities accounting for 47 percent of the total.
اضافة اعلان
Prior to
October 7, 2023, the disabled population in
Palestine numbered approximately 115,000, representing 2.1 percent of the total
population across the Palestinian territories. Of these, approximately 59,000
individuals resided in the West Bank, accounting for 1.8 percent of the total
population, while about 58,000 individuals lived in the Strip, making up 2.6
percent of the total population.
According to studies conducted by the Palestinian
General Union of People with Disability (GUPWD), approximately 90 percent of persons
with disabilities in Gaza come from poor families or the poorest households.
Many of these essential mobility aids were either destroyed during the war or
remain buried under the rubble of demolished houses. Only a limited number of
wheelchairs are utilized in hospitals to assist with emergency cases or during
surgeries. The union warns that once the war ends, the situation will be
catastrophic for all civilians, particularly for the persons with disabilities.
Persons with disabilities in
Gaza struggle amidst destruction and displacement
46-year-old Ali Taha relied on his wheelchair for
mobility. The wheelchair, received just two years ago from a charity
organization supporting individuals with disabilities in Gaza City, was lost
when his family's house was bombed in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood of
Gaza City. Forced to flee with his family, Taha spent two days near Al-Quds Hospital
run by the
Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS). Upon returning home after
the bombing ceased, his brothers found the new wheelchair smashed under the rubble.
Taha currently requires assistance to access the bathroom
or step outside the tent to expose his body to the morning sun. In many
instances, his brother and his brother's children assist him. However, when the
tent is empty, he must call out for help from passersby.
Taha said, "I feel helpless at the moment. I was
injured in my legs during the second Israeli aggression in 2014, which resulted
in paralysis in both legs and the amputation of my left foot. I live in
difficult economic conditions, and my family relies on humanitarian aid from
charities. Today, I live with my brother's family as displaced."
Moreover, 39-year-old
Osama Al-Maghribi narrowly escaped
from his home during the Israeli shelling of the residential area in Jabalia
Camp, northern Gaza. Due to a motor disability sustained since childhood from a
fall, Maghribi relied on makeshift transportation methods, moving from one cart
to another or being carried by his brothers, cousins, and neighbors during the
displacement journey.
Maghribi stated, "My brothers retrieved the
wheelchair from under the rubble, and it was undamaged. However, it broke
during the displacement from northern Gaza due to the damaged roads. My brother
tried to fix it with a wire, but it didn't work. I had to use the wheelchair,
but the bombing weakened its metal structure, and the destroyed streets further
damaged it until it couldn't bear my weight anymore,” adding, “I suffer from
severe pain due to the difficult displacement journey, as well as the shortage of
medicine and medical care. I live a real nightmare, and I can't forget the
details of the displacement journey. Currently, I struggle to go to the
bathroom, and I resort to using a small bottle."
Read more Region and World
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
