Gaza Herald_Around 35,000 children and adults in the Gaza Strip are suffering from partial or complete hearing loss as a result of a war that has continued for two years, according to findings by a local organization. This silent yet devastating consequence stands as one of the harshest outcomes of the conflict.
The investigation highlights the profound humanitarian impact of the war on Gaza’s population, focusing on what can be described as a “silent catastrophe” affecting hearing, particularly among children, amid the absence of treatment, lack of support, and the near-total collapse of the healthcare system.
The report begins with the story of Dana, a young girl who lost her hearing after a missile exploded near her bedroom. Since then, communication within her family has become a daily struggle, as none of her relatives know sign language and no supportive services are available.
A Damaged Nerve and No Way to Heal
Dana’s father took her to specialists at a center serving deaf children in Gaza, where staff continue to work despite the destruction of their main facility. Medical professionals informed the family that Dana’s auditory nerve had been severely damaged and may have been completely destroyed due to the intensity of the explosion.
The tragedy is not limited to older children. The report also recounts the case of an infant, Ayan Al-Qara, who was thrown by an explosion near his family’s displacement tent and buried under the sand. His mother, Safa, said, “We found him by his feet sticking out. He was in a horrific condition, and we thought he would not survive.” Although Ayan lived, medical examinations later confirmed that his hearing loss was total.
Ayan urgently needs a hearing aid and may require a cochlear implant to prevent severe developmental delays. However, like Dana’s family, his relatives face the impossibility of securing such devices under the ongoing blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Sound Waves That Kill Hearing
Specialists explain that hearing loss in Gaza is not caused only by direct injuries, but also by the powerful shockwaves generated by bombardment, which inflict severe and often irreversible damage to the auditory nerve.
The crisis is further deepened by strict restrictions on the entry of medical equipment. Hearing aids and their batteries have not entered Gaza for many months, while healthcare infrastructure has been systematically destroyed and specialized medical staff remain scarce.
In this context, Fadi Abed, director of a center for the deaf, stated that the number of people with disabilities in Gaza has doubled since the war. While official figures previously estimated around 58,000 people with disabilities, the number has now risen to approximately 132,000, including 35,000 individuals who lost their hearing due to explosions, lack of healthcare, and the absence of assistive tools.
Children Trapped by Disability and War
UN data reflects the severity of the situation. A UN committee on the rights of persons with disabilities revealed that at least 21,000 children in Gaza have developed disabilities since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.
The committee also reported that around 40,500 children have sustained war-related injuries over nearly two years, with more than half now living with permanent disabilities.
Another layer of suffering was highlighted, noting that many people with hearing or visual impairments were unable to comply with evacuation orders, as their conditions made evacuation “impossible.” Reports documented cases where individuals were forced to flee in unsafe and degrading circumstances, including crawling through sand or mud without any mobility assistance.
A Growing Crisis Without Support
Health workers have warned that malnutrition, overcrowding, and the absence of primary healthcare in displacement camps could lead to a further rise in hearing disabilities, particularly among children and newborns.
In December 2024, during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned that Gaza now has “the highest proportion of children with disabilities in the world.”
The findings conclude that an entire generation of Gaza’s children is at risk of educational and psychological isolation due to the lack of treatment and support, making hearing loss one of the most silent yet most brutal faces of the ongoing war on Gaza.
