25% of Gazans Wounded in Israeli Assault 'Have Life-Changing Injuries': WHO

At least a quarter of the Palestinians in Gaza who have been wounded by Israel's bombardment and invasion of the enclave "have life-changing injuries," the World Health Organization reported on Wednesday.

The figure came from a new analysis, Estimating Trauma Rehabilitation Needs in Gaza Using Injury Data from Emergency Medical Teams. WHO officials calculate that 22,500 people wounded in Gaza faced "acute and ongoing rehabilitation needs" as of July 23, though that number has likely climbed to around 24,000 in the past month and a half.

"The numbers of catastrophic injuries in Gaza is overwhelming," Pete Skelton, who works as a focal point for rehabilitation in emergencies with WHO, said on social media in response to the report. "These people are not just injured but also displaced and many have lost family and friends. Coupled with destruction and disruption of services, loss of staff and ongoing war, the rehabilitation needs are off the scale."

"Amid the ongoing hostilities, it is critical to ensure access to all essential health services, including rehabilitation to prevent illness and death."

WHO's numbers were estimated based on daily Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Minimum Data Set (MDS) from January 10 to May 16. The organization concluded that the leading number of injuries were extremity injuries at around 15,000, followed by limb amputations at 3,000 to 4,000, major head and spinal cord injuries at over 2,000, and major burns also at more than 2,000. Many people likely have multiple injuries.

Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO's representative for the Palestinian territories, told reporters that the numbers were "pretty shocking."

And Israel's ongoing assault, which many experts consider a genocide, will make it difficult for the injured to access rehabilitation services.

"The huge surge in rehabilitation needs occurs in parallel with the ongoing decimation of the health system," Peeperkorn said in a statement. "Patients can't get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted and specialized care for complex injuries is not available, placing patients' lives at risk. Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to address the enormous rehabilitation needs."

Of Gaza's 36 hospitals, only 17 remain at least partially functional. The only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation center in Gaza stopped normal operations in December due to staffing and supply shortages, and was later damaged in a February raid. The war has killed 39 physiotherapists, according to external reports, and has forced most other rehabilitation workers from their homes.

"We have lost all inpatient rehabilitation services due to the conflict," Skelton told EuroNews.

It is also difficult for patients to access the supplies they need to recover; only 13% of the demand for equipment like wheelchairs and crutches has been fulfilled, and only for those injured since the war began.

"Amid the ongoing hostilities, it is critical to ensure access to all essential health services, including rehabilitation to prevent illness and death," WHO said in a statement accompanying the report. "WHO reiterates its call for a cease-fire, which is critical for rebuilding the health system to cope with escalating needs."