At least 250 injured victims are in urgent need of rehabilitation support in Gaza

Over the past week, violence in Gaza has claimed over 200 lives and injured more than 1,400 people, according to the UN. International disability charity, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), has already identified 250 injured victims who are in urgent need of rehabilitation support.

"People who have been wounded are being operated on quickly, but there will be both short and long-term consequences from their injuries, particularly for those who will be living with disabilities after what has happened,"

says HI’s Country Director for Gaza, Laurent Palustran. HI is preparing to provide ongoing rehabilitation care in an effort to prevent lifelong disabilities. 

The violence is deeply traumatic for a population that has already undergone multiple cycles of conflict. HI teams in Gaza are providing psychological support to people affected.

"There are psychological traumas that will remain,”

says Palustran.

“That’s why it is important to provide mental health support. The population is experiencing collective trauma.”

HI UK’s Chief Executive, George Graham, says,

“We know that the damage done by airstrikes reverberates for decades. Gaza has seen repeated cycles of bombing. We’re still working alongside people who have disabilities caused by airstrikes in 2018. The resurgence of violence means we’re seeing a really worrying new spike of seriously injured people and, with resources diminishing and the blockade in its 14th year, we’re really concerned about what the future holds for these people.”

In addition, there is a significant risk that Covid-19 will spread, particularly among people displaced from their homes. HI is preparing to distribute Infection Prevention and Control kits to vulnerable and disabled civilians in attempts to protect them from the virus.

"What we’re seeing is that people come to seek shelter, but they don’t have the materials to protect themselves against Covid-19,"

says Palustran. Around 50 schools have opened as temporary shelters, each housing over 1,000 people.

“People don’t wear masks and they are essentially on top of each other. There is a very high risk."

HI is also concerned about the risk of even more injuries caused by explosive remnants of war left behind after the current bombing ends.

“It is certainly possible that some of the rockets that were launched have not yet exploded, therefore we may be facing a longer-term risk from unexploded remnants of war,”

says Palustran.

Notes

Interviews upon request with Humanity & Inclusion’s experts:

• Laurant Palustran, HI’s Country Director for Gaza
• George Graham, HI UK’s Chief Executive

Humanity & Inclusion has launched an Emergency Appeal to support injured and disabled people in Gaza.

For the latest updates please visit https://humanity-inclusion.org.uk/en/news/index

Press contact

Lucy Cottle, Humanity & Inclusion UK
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +44 (0)7504989280

About Humanity & Inclusion

Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Humanity & Inclusion is an international NGO working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. With donor support, we work tirelessly alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable groups to help meet their basic needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.