UNRWA Commissioner-General Highlights Crisis of Disabilities in Gaza.

Gaza: Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East since 2020, described the dire state of disabilities in Gaza, stating that it has become a pandemic of disabilities. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Lazzarini shared his concerns in a post on X, emphasizing the grim statistics that place Gaza at the forefront of child amputees per capita globally. He remarked on the pre-war conditions, highlighting that one in five families surveyed had at least one member with disabilities, and nearly half of these families included a child with disabilities. Lazzarini expressed deep concern over the plight of those requiring special care during the ongoing conflict, noting that their stories often go untold. He described the war as a catalyst for an epidemic of traumatic injuries, with a significant lack of rehabilitation services to support those affected. He reiterated that the World Health Organization (WHO) e stimates one in four individuals injured during the conflict have sustained life-changing injuries, necessitating rehabilitation services for issues such as amputations and spinal cord injuries.