Israel's siege leaving Palestinians in Gaza at risk of hearing loss

A Palestinian association has warned that around 35,000 children and adults in the Gaza Strip are at risk of permanent or temporary hearing loss as a result of Israel’s ongoing genocide and its severe impact on the deaf community.

Israel’s genocide leaving tens of thousands in Gaza with hearing loss

The association Our Children for the Deaf explained that children under the age of five are most at risk. It noted that this group faces a direct threat to the development of their speech and language skills due to the difficulty of accessing appropriate treatment and rehabilitation.

The association detailed that the destruction of rehabilitation and treatment infrastructure has prevented those affected from accessing treatment centers. Israeli restrictions have led to the loss of assistive devices, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, spare parts, and batteries, further increasing the suffering of children and those affected.

It confirmed that more than 89% of children suffer from psychological trauma, including night crying and bedwetting. The association has suffered severe damage that has led to a complete halt in its educational and rehabilitation services.

It stressed that repeated displacement hinders the injured from reaching health centers. The organisation is therefore calling on the relevant authorities to urgently secure hearing aids, establish mobile units to test children’s hearing in displacement areas, and support the remaining rehabilitation centers to provide the necessary care.

Disabled Palestinians under attack

The association added that 8% of Palestinians over the age of 18 in Gaza are disabled. In 2023 alone, there were more than 12,000 new cases, including deafness, reflecting the worsening crisis and the urgent need for intervention to prevent the deterioration of the health situation of disabled Palestinians.

These warnings come amid the ongoing genocide on Gaza, which has had a devastating impact on children, older, and disabled people. Israel’s siege has led to a scarcity of basic services and ongoing challenges in accessing medical and rehabilitation assistance.

For years, the Gaza Strip has suffered from a tight blockade and repeated crises as a result of armed conflicts, leading to a sharp deterioration in health, education, and social infrastructure. Children and disabled people are the most affected, as they face extreme difficulty in accessing necessary treatment and rehabilitation. This increases their suffering, and threatening their lives, as well as their educational and social future.

Care services for deaf children are extremely limited, with a shortage of assistive devices such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and batteries. This is in addition to the wholesale destruction of rehabilitation centers and disruption of educational services.

This situation exacerbates the psychological trauma of children and those affected, making humanitarian intervention urgent and necessary to avoid permanent damage to their health and psychological and social development.

Featured image via the Canary