The ongoing genocide in Gaza has left a generation of children facing life-altering injuries. Thousands of children have lost their limbs, their ability to walk, and in many cases, their sense of hope. The pain they endure, both physical and psychological, has been made even worse by a lack of adequate medical care. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure, and a continued blockade on humanitarian aid. As the world watches, the plight of Gaza’s child amputees remains a forgotten crisis.

The Surge of Child Amputees: An Unimaginable Crisis

As of early 2025, the Gaza Strip has the highest number of child amputees per capita anywhere in the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 children have had limbs amputated since October 2023. Many of these children suffered severe injuries due to airstrikes, shelling, and other forms of violence. With medical staff often unable to provide timely treatment due to a lack of supplies and functioning hospitals.

The pain and trauma faced by these children are unimaginable. Children like Ghazal, a 4-year-old girl who lost her leg in an airstrike, or Ritaj, an 8-year-old who had her leg amputated three times after an Israeli airstrike. This shows the cruel reality faced by Gaza’s youngest victims. The trauma isn’t just physical; it’s emotional and psychological, as these children are forced to grow up where their injuries compound their grief and fear.

Efforts to Help: UNICEF and Global Healing Programmes

Amid this devastation, organisations like UNICEF and HEAL Palestine are working tirelessly to bring some relief to the children in need. UNICEF has delivered over 500 wheelchairs and assistive devices to children across the Gaza Strip. Aiming to improve their quality of life and restore some sense of normalcy.

Meanwhile, HEAL Palestine’s Global Healing Programme has been pivotal in evacuating children like Islam. An 8-year-old who was trapped under the rubble of his home, to receive life-saving treatment and prosthetics abroad.

Thanks to these efforts, children have a chance to heal physically and emotionally. With prosthetic limbs giving them the ability to walk again and reclaim their futures.

Tala’s story is one of triumph; after undergoing surgery and treatment for multiple congenital issues and a leg amputation, she is now walking and even riding a bike, thanks to the care provided through HEAL Palestine’s programme. Her strength and resilience are an inspiration, showing what’s possible when children are given the chance to heal.

ila Abu Aqlan: A 5-Year-Old’s Heartbreaking Journey

Five-year-old Sila Abu Aqlan is one of many children who’ve suffered from the violence. After losing her leg in an airstrike that killed her family, she is now learning to walk again with a prosthetic. Yet, the physical recovery is only part of the battle, the psychological scars remain deep. For children like Sila, the loss of a limb goes beyond the physical pain. Many struggle with isolation, emotional trauma, and a deep sense of difference from their peers. Sila, unable to play with friends as she once did, questions why she is no longer like them.

The Forgotten Children: Left Behind in Gaza’s Crisis

While some children have been able to escape the horrors through evacuation programmes and international aid, many others remain, with no access to life-saving medical treatment, prosthetics, or even basic pain relief. These children, who have suffered horrific injuries, are unable to heal or receive the care they desperately need. Their voices go unheard, and their pain is ignored by the wider world.

In March 2025, a particularly horrifying case emerged, seven children who were forced to undergo amputations without any pain relief. These children, victims of the ongoing conflict, were left in excruciating pain as medical teams, overwhelmed by the sheer number of casualties and the scarcity of medical supplies, were unable to administer proper anaesthesia or sedation. Their suffering was not only physical but also emotional, as the shock of losing a limb was compounded by the trauma of undergoing surgery in such dire conditions. The lack of adequate healthcare in Gaza is nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe.

These children represent a silent epidemic, a crisis that has been largely ignored by the international community. The world has watched as Gaza’s healthcare system collapsed under the weight of the ongoing conflict, with hospitals destroyed, medical supplies blocked, and medical staff either fleeing or overwhelmed. In these conditions, children are left to suffer in pain without the possibility of recovery.

International Outrage: A Stark Absence

Where is the outrage from the international community? Why has the world turned a blind eye to the suffering of these innocent children? The stories of these child amputees have failed to garner the global attention they deserve, and the lack of meaningful action in response to their pain and suffering is appalling.

In recent months, no aid has been able to trickle into Gaza, even before it barely scratched the surface of the overwhelming need. International organisations are still struggling to meet the basic demands for prosthetics, wheelchairs, and crutches. The number of children left behind without care continues to grow.

The inability of international bodies and foreign governments to ensure consistent medical aid, evacuations for treatment, and a coordinated response is a failure of global responsibility. These children should not be left to suffer in silence while political and military powers debate their fate. The international community must demand more accountability, greater support, and urgent intervention for the children of Gaza.

A Call to Action

We cannot allow these children to be forgotten. Every child who loses a limb in Gaza deserves a chance to heal, to grow, and to live without the permanent scars of war. The failure to provide them with care and treatment is a global failure. The silence must end, and urgent action is needed to provide these children with the medical attention, pain relief, and psychological support they desperately need. The international community cannot continue to ignore the fate of Gaza’s child amputees. These children are not statistics, they are innocent victims of a brutal conflict, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that their suffering is acknowledged, and their futures are secured.