By
Across Gaza, children who have survived catastrophic injuries are beginning the difficult journey of recovery and rebuilding. The region now faces an unprecedented reality: Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. Thousands of children require care that extends well beyond emergency intervention — including sustained rehabilitation, prosthetic provision, psychological support, and pathways back into education.
In response to this escalating humanitarian and clinical challenge, HEAL Palestine has officially launched its Amputee Program, a multidisciplinary initiative structured around the organization’s four-pillar model: Health, Aid, Education, and Leadership.
The program is designed not only to address physical injury, but to restore mobility, rebuild confidence, and support children living with limb loss as they move forward with dignity, independence, and opportunity.
A Four-Pillar Framework for Recovery
Health: Delivery of ongoing rehabilitation services, prosthetic support, physical and occupational therapy, and mental health care tailored to children experiencing complex trauma.
Aid: Direct humanitarian assistance for families coping with displacement, financial hardship, and the long-term demands of medical recovery.
Education: Academic support to ensure children can continue learning despite mobility limitations or interrupted schooling.
Leadership: Initiatives that promote resilience, self-confidence, and community reintegration, empowering children to redefine their future beyond injury.
Recovery from limb loss is never solely physical. It is emotional, social, and developmental — requiring continuity of care and long-term commitment.
HEAL Palestine Champions League: Movement as Medicine
On February 14, in Deir El Balah, HEAL Palestine hosted Gaza’s first amputee soccer tournament — the HEAL Palestine Champions League.
Sixty amputee athletes participated, demonstrating extraordinary strength, coordination, and determination. Thirty recently injured children attended as special guests, many still early in their rehabilitation journeys. They joined the athletes on the field, received medals, shared a communal meal, and experienced a powerful message of inclusion, movement, and hope.
For children adapting to limb loss, witnessing experienced amputees compete and celebrate together offered more than inspiration. It provided tangible proof that mobility, participation, and joy remain possible.
The tournament represented more than a sporting milestone — it signaled the beginning of a sustained rehabilitation-focused commitment to Gaza’s amputee children.
Supporting Long-Term Rehabilitation in Gaza
The need for structured amputee rehabilitation in Gaza remains urgent. Prosthetic devices require repeated adjustments as children grow. Physical and occupational therapy must continue for years. Psychological recovery must progress alongside physical restoration.
Through the Amputee Program, HEAL Palestine is establishing a long-term support system aimed at preventing children from being left behind once acute treatment ends.
Recovery is not an event. It is a lifelong process.
