According to a group of experts, around 40,500 children suffered injuries in the nearly two years since, and more than half of them suffered some form of disability, and more than 1,000 underwent amputations.

With the increase in military operations, the number is likely to be higher, and could even double, said Muhannad Salah Al-Azzeh, a member of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Committee also indicated that the World Health Organization estimated that between 480,000 and 485,000 people have mental health problems or psychosocial disabilities, the vast majority of whom are children.

The experts also warned about the lack of specialized and essential services, medical equipment, and assistive devices, in addition to famine, acute malnutrition, lack of access to safe drinking water, and Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid.

Persons with disabilities face severe disruptions in assistance, and many are left without food, safe drinking water, or sanitation. Furthermore, they depend on others for survival, the Committee noted.

Physical obstacles, such as debris and the loss of mobility devices, further hold up access to relocated aid points, especially for older adults, thus the need of ensuring safe corridors and expedite evacuation so patients can receive the medical, psychosocial, and rehabilitation support they require.

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