The scale of trauma-related disability in Gaza continues to grow, with the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office reporting that an estimated 43,000 people have sustained life-changing injuries since October 2023.
According to WHO’s May 2026 update, this represents around one in four of the 172,000 people injured during the conflict. Up to a quarter of those with life-changing injuries are children, amounting to approximately 10,000 young people who may require long-term rehabilitation, assistive technology, reconstructive surgery, prosthetic care or ongoing multidisciplinary support.
For the prosthetics and orthotics community across the IMEA region, the figures point to a long-term rehabilitation crisis that extends far beyond emergency trauma care. WHO reports more than 22,000 major limb injuries, over 5,000 traumatic limb amputations, more than 2,000 spinal cord injuries, over 3,400 major burns and more than 1,300 major traumatic brain injuries. In total, more than 50,000 conflict-related injuries are expected to require long-term rehabilitation.
The demand for limb reconstruction and prosthetic services is also rising sharply. WHO states that nearly 14,000 patients registered for limb reconstruction services between July 2025 and May 2026. Among those assessed so far, almost half require further surgery. Of the 2,300 people with amputated limbs evaluated between September 2024 and May 2026, only around 500 have been fitted with permanent prosthetics, reflecting the severe shortage of prosthetic capacity, materials and rehabilitation infrastructure inside Gaza.
The pressure on rehabilitation services is compounded by the collapse of service capacity. WHO reports that no rehabilitation facility in Gaza is fully functional, and fewer hospitals are providing specialist rehabilitation than before the conflict. More than 400 patients are currently on waiting lists for specialised rehabilitation beds, resulting in early discharge for some patients and increasing the risk of preventable long-term disability.
Access to rehabilitation equipment and assistive technology remains one of the most urgent constraints. WHO reports that no rehabilitation equipment for health facilities entered Gaza between May 2024 and mid-April 2026. As of mid-April 2026, 18 shipments of rehabilitation-related supplies were still awaiting clearance, with waiting times ranging from 130 to 520 days. Pending items include adult and paediatric wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and basic rehabilitation equipment such as stationary bicycles.
In December 2025, WHO estimated that nearly 33,000 assistive products and technologies were needed to meet demand in Gaza. More than 12,000 mobility products were distributed between January 2025 and May 2026 through an assistive product tracking system designed to improve accountability and reduce duplication. However, this met only around one third of the identified need. WHO also noted that over 90% of distributed assistive products were directly supported by the organisation.
The situation highlights the importance of sustained rehabilitation investment, not only in devices and equipment but also in trained professionals, clinical systems and safe service environments. For amputees, people with spinal cord injuries, children with complex trauma and patients recovering from burns or traumatic brain injuries, the absence of timely rehabilitation can determine whether recovery is possible or disability becomes more severe and permanent.
“Gaza does not need stopgap measures,” said Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, in the WHO update. “It needs sustained investment in the health workforce, in equipment, and in the systems and environment that allow people to recover, rebuild, and return to life.”
WHO and partners are continuing to support rehabilitation needs, but the agency is calling for rehabilitation equipment, prosthetics, assistive products and essential medicines to be cleared for entry without delay. It is also calling for sustained investment in Gaza’s health system to restore services and reduce reliance on medical evacuations.
For orthotists, prosthetists, rehabilitation physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and assistive technology providers across the region, Gaza’s rehabilitation needs will require coordinated long-term action. The crisis is not only a matter of emergency medical response, but a generational challenge for disability care, prosthetic provision, paediatric rehabilitation, trauma recovery and health system rebuilding.