Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 42,000 people in the Gaza Strip are living with life-altering injuries due to the ongoing conflict, according to its latest update released Thursday. Children account for one in four of these cases.
The report, Estimating Trauma Rehabilitation Needs in Gaza, September 2025 Update, notes that such injuries make up a quarter of all 167,376 reported cases since October 2023. Over 5,000 people have undergone amputations, the WHO added. These findings, drawn from a broader dataset, align with the organization’s earlier assessments.
Severe injuries—including damage to limbs, the spinal cord, brain, and major burns—are widespread, creating enormous demand for specialized surgical and rehabilitation services. Many families face prolonged challenges as patients require intensive, long-term care.
Complex facial and eye injuries are also common, especially among those awaiting medical evacuation outside Gaza. These injuries often result in disfigurement, disability, and social stigma.
The update, based on data from 22 WHO-supported Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), Gaza’s Ministry of Health, and other partners, provides the most comprehensive overview yet of rehabilitation needs arising from conflict-related trauma.
Gaza’s health system, however, is on the brink of collapse. Only 14 of 36 hospitals remain partially functional, and less than a third of pre-conflict rehabilitation facilities are operating, several of which face imminent closure. None are fully functional, despite ongoing support from EMTs and health organizations.
The conflict has also devastated the rehabilitation workforce. Gaza previously had around 1,300 physiotherapists and 400 occupational therapists, many of whom have been displaced. Those remaining are under immense pressure. Despite thousands of amputations, there are only eight prosthetists in the territory to produce and fit artificial limbs.
“Rehabilitation is vital not only for trauma recovery but also for people with chronic conditions and disabilities, which are not captured in this report,” said Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory.
