UN: Health Funding Gap Treathens 1.700 in Gaza With Amputations

Gaza, MINA – A lack of sufficient health funding in Gaza means 1,700 people shot by Israeli security forces may have to undergo amputations in the next two years, Jamie McGoldrick, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories, told reporters on Wednesday.

McGoldrick said 29,000 Palestinians had been wounded in protests in the past year, and 7,000 of them had gunshot wounds, mostly in the lower legs, Palinfo reported.

“You’ve got 1,700 people who are in need of serious, complicated surgeries for them to be able to walk again,” McGoldrick said.

“These are people who have been shot during the demonstrations and who are in need of rehabilitation, and very, very serious and complex bone reconstruction surgery over a two year period before they start to rehabilitate themselves.

” Without those procedures, all these people are at risk of undergoing amputations, he affirmed.

The UN is seeking $20 million to fill the gap in health spending in the besieged coastal enclave.(T/R04/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)