Disabled Gazans Struggle to Access Aid Amid War

83 per cent of people with disabilities in Gaza have lost their assistive devices, including wheel chairs and hearing aids.

When Israeli forces in Gaza issue a new displacement order ahead of an incursion into a neighbourhood or city, Palestinian civilians are expected to pack their bags and flee – perhaps for the third, fourth, or tenth time.

But for an increasing number of Palestinians, including those who cannot hear the orders or whose mobility is impaired, following these directives may be impossible. Yet failure to do so could cost them their lives.

“In a normal situation, people with disabilities suffer the most. And in wartime, of course, the situation is heightened further,” said Muhannad Salah Al-Azzeh, a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, during a public dialogue this week in Geneva.

With the number of disabled people in Gaza rising daily, Mr. Al-Azzeh warned that the minimum level of safety for them is not being upheld.

Over 83 per cent of people with disabilities in Gaza lack the assistive devices they need, including wheelchairs, hearing aids, and other essential tools. For those who do have them, the batteries that keep these devices working are in critically short supply.

This makes it exponentially harder – if not impossible – for them to access healthcare and food.

The shortage comes amid a surge in new disabilities. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) estimates that one in four Gazans has acquired a disability as a result of the war between Israeli forces and Hamas, requiring treatment and rehabilitation.

At least 35,000 people have sustained significant hearing damage due to repeated explosions. Ammar Dwaik, director-general of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights, said an average of 15 children become newly disabled each day. Rights groups say Gaza now has the largest number of child amputees in modern history.

With over 134,000 people injured in the conflict – including 40,500 children – the besieged and under-resourced healthcare system is overwhelmed.

“Hospitals, ambulances, and medical and humanitarian personnel have been systematically targeted, with over 1,580 health workers and 467 humanitarian staff killed,” UNRWA reported.

Seeking life-saving aid has become dangerous even for the healthiest in Gaza, but for people with disabilities, it is almost impossible, according to Hector Sharp, a UNRWA representative in Geneva.

“Reaching [distribution points] and physically competing for aid is difficult for all Palestinians, but even more so for people with disabilities, for whom aid is effectively placed out of reach,” Mr. Sharp said.

The US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, for example, operates only a handful of distribution points across the Gaza Strip, bypassing established UN and NGO operations. This forces people to walk long distances for meagre amounts of food.

If people with mobility impairments lack family or friends to collect aid for them, they may simply go without, Mr. Al-Azzeh added.

Since 1962, UNRWA has run a rehabilitation centre for the visually impaired in Gaza, serving over 500 children at a time.

“Today, the centre lies in rubble,” Mr. Sharp said.

The destruction of other civilian infrastructure – including schools and hospitals – is further hindering rehabilitation for people with disabilities and deepening societal exclusion.

For children with disabilities, the closure of inclusive schools exacerbates inequality and increases the risk of lifelong social and economic marginalisation, Mr. Sharp warned.

Despite the challenges, UNRWA has continued to assist people with disabilities, providing over 53,000 physiotherapy sessions and assistive or rehabilitation devices to 8,500 people since the start of the year.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), urged Israeli authorities to allow more assistive devices and technology into Gaza, both for those with pre-existing disabilities and those newly injured in the conflict.

He also called for expanded medical evacuations so that people with disabilities can access vital specialised care. Ultimately, he said, only peace can end the suffering.

“Peace is the only way to stop the suffering of Palestinians, including those with disabilities.”