Why it matters:
Children under five now make up the majority of burn victims in Gaza, facing not only the trauma of war but also the life-threatening complications of untreated injuries. Many are being denied proper care due to critical shortages in staff, supplies, and safe medical facilities.
The big picture:
Since Israel resumed attacks on March 18, Gaza’s health system has deteriorated rapidly. Prolonged siege conditions, destroyed infrastructure, and evacuation orders targeting over half the territory's health facilities have made access to lifesaving care almost impossible.
What it’s saying:
In a statement, MSF said: “We’ve seen a spike in burn injuries, most of them children.”
“At our Gaza City clinic, we receive over 100 patients daily.” “In Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, we've performed over 1,000 burn surgeries since May, 70% were for children under five.” “After 50 days of siege, we’re critically low on basic painkillers.”
Key points:
- Surge in pediatric burn injuries turned into a humanitarian crisis after the Israeli military resumed its brutal attacks in March 2024.
- Overwhelmed clinics, displacement of people due to Israeli round-the-clock bombardment, shortage of medicine and medical staff, are the roots of the surge in pediatric burn injuries.
- Some MSF clinic in Gaza treats more than 100 burned child patients daily.
- Since May, over 1,000 burn surgeries at a single hospital, most for toddlers.
- Severe burns require surgeries, daily dressing changes, pain management, physical therapy, and psychological support, which can't be provided in Gaza under Israeli siege.
Go deeper:
MSF has conducted over 6,500 wound-dressing sessions since December 2024. But the breakdown in follow-up care, due to both displacement and danger, underscores how war, siege, and systemic collapse are combining to threaten a generation of Gaza’s youngest.
Hossein Vaez
