WHO Report Highlights Urgent Need for Rehabilitation Services in Gaza Amid Healthcare Crisis

The analysis found that severe limb injuries, estimated between 13,455 and 17,550, are the primary cause of the increased need for rehabilitation.

A World Health Organization (WHO) analysis has revealed that at least one quarter of the 22,500 individuals injured in Gaza by July 23, 2024, have sustained life-changing injuries that require immediate and long-term rehabilitation. The report, Estimating Trauma Rehabilitation Needs in Gaza using Injury Data from Emergency Medical Teams, underscores the immense burden on Gaza’s healthcare system, which has been severely affected by ongoing conflict.

The analysis found that severe limb injuries, estimated between 13,455 and 17,550, are the primary cause of the increased need for rehabilitation. Additionally, between 3,105 and 4,050 limb amputations have occurred. Surgeons are also seeing a rise in spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and severe burns, contributing to the growing number of patients with complex, life-altering injuries. Many of the injured are women and children, further heightening the crisis.

“The huge surge in rehabilitation needs occurs in parallel with the ongoing decimation of the health system,” said Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory. “Patients can’t get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted, and specialized care for complex injuries is unavailable, placing patients' lives at risk.”

Currently, only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially operational, while primary healthcare services have frequently been suspended due to insecurity and repeated evacuation orders. The only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation center, located at Nasser Medical Complex and supported by WHO, has been non-functional since December 2023 due to supply shortages and the displacement of specialized health workers. It was further damaged in a raid in February 2024. The shortage of rehabilitation staff is critical, with reports indicating that 39 physiotherapists have been killed as of May 2024. Additionally, prosthetic services have ceased, and the need for assistive devices such as wheelchairs far outstrips the available supply.

The report focuses on injuries sustained since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023, but Gaza’s population was already grappling with chronic conditions and disabilities before this, worsening the health crisis.

The WHO estimates will guide planning for a significant expansion of rehabilitation services and inform long-term health policy. However, amid ongoing hostilities, the WHO emphasizes the urgent need for a ceasefire to restore and rebuild Gaza’s overwhelmed healthcare system.