Gaza – Together The Agricultural Development Association ‘Agricultural Relief’ began establishing a shelter center for people with disabilities and their families in Deir al-Balah in the Central Governorate.
The project is funded by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Christian Aid (CA), and in partnership with Atfaluna Association, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and the Agricultural Development Society (Agricultural Relief).
The project aims to create a place designated for people with disabilities (motor, hearing, visual, and other disabilities) and their families to facilitate the difficult living conditions they are experiencing due to displacement, especially in light of the lack of a place designated for them or to care for them since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip. In addition to enabling persons with disabilities to access services, activities, and obtain information on the basis of equality with others.
The shelter center will be built on a 7-dunum plot of land in the Al-Baraka ar
ea in Deir al-Balah Governorate. Tents will be installed, bathrooms adapted for people with disabilities, a medical point, educational classes, a recreational area, a sustainable water source, in addition to other supplies that are compatible with their needs and ensure that they enjoy all rights on an equal basis with others in light of the crisis.
According to estimates by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the number of people with disabilities in Palestine before the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 was 115,000, representing 2.1 percent of the population. According to projections for 2024, the number of children with disabilities in the Strip will reach about 98,000 children between the ages of two and 17, including about six thousand children between the ages of two and four, and about 92 thousand children between the ages of two and 17.
The census report indicated that the Israeli measures on the Gaza Strip caused motor disabilities for about 2,000 adults, constituting 9 percent of adults
with motor disabilities, and about 3 percent of children under 18 years of age with disabilities. The report added that the wounded in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, especially children who constitute 17 percent of the total wounded, suffer from various repercussions represented by serious physical injuries, as a result of which they may need repeated surgeries and expensive medical treatments, and the injuries may lead to disability and permanent disability. Which affects their future. The report also confirmed that most of the wounded children suffer from trauma and psychological disorders as a result of injuries resulting from the war, which affects their psychological and social development.
Source: Maan News Agency