Palestinian NGOs urge protection of disabled people in Gaza

Gaza: Palestinian non-governmental organizations Saturday called for providing urgent protection to persons with disabilities and aid and assistive devices to rehabilitation centers in the Gaza Strip to respond to their needs. The war on Gaza has raised disabilities as Israeli occupation forces block the entry of assistive devices and medical supplies, and prevent the injured from travel for treatment after the destruction of the health infrastructure and most of health facilities and rehabilitation centers, the NGOs said in a statement. The Israeli actions are a stark violation of international agreements on the protection of civilians, including Article 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which calls for promoting respect for their inherent dignity, the statement said. It said hundreds of people with disabilities were killed and thousands injured in the Israeli aggression, and 10,000 were injured with varying disabilities, in addition to the displacement of tens of thousands of people with disabilities who were living in difficult conditions and suffered trauma. The organizations said Israel's destruction of infrastructure, roads and rehabilitation centers limited the disabled people's access to services and their mobility to evacuate, and threatened their lives. Source: Jordan News Agency