Al Jazeera report: Children with Down syndrome struggle with devastation of war in Gaza
An Al Jazeera video report covers the difficulties faced by children with Down syndrome in Gaza under war conditions. Families say access to physiotherapy, medication and special education has been restricted for a long time. NGOs on the ground are trying to keep protective programmes going.
An Al Jazeera field video reports on the difficulties faced by the families of children with Down syndrome in the Gaza Strip. According to the report, the number of functioning physiotherapy units has dropped significantly; access to medication for chronic treatments is limited to the periods when humanitarian corridors through border crossings are functional.
According to family testimonies given to Al Jazeera, early-intervention programmes that previously ran at special-education centres have been disrupted. NGOs are trying to keep some sessions going via telephone support and volunteer networks, but interruptions in power and internet infrastructure complicate these efforts. According to the report, UNICEF and the World Health Organization have reiterated their calls for the special protection of children with disabilities.
In official statements from the Israeli side, humanitarian aid entries are described as being assessed within the framework of operational requirements, while Palestinian health sources say the current flow of medical supplies does not meet the need. The information from the ground is hard to verify independently, but the impact of the conflict on children with disabilities is rising on the humanitarian-diplomacy agenda.
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