GENEVA: United Nations experts have expressed alarm at the appalling conditions of Palestinians with disabilities in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the number of injured Palestinians in Gaza has exceeded 100,000, most of whom have long-term disabilities that require rehabilitation, assistive devices, psychosocial support and other services that are sorely lacking.
Dr. Heba Hagrass, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; and a number of UN human rights experts warned in a statement today in Geneva that people with disabilities in the Palestinian territories, especially Gaza, face unbearable risks including death and inescapable injuries, amid indiscriminate attacks by Israeli forces that have destroyed vital infrastructure and cut off humanitarian access.
The experts noted that multiple evacuation orders totally disregarde
d persons with disabilities who often face extreme difficulties to follow or understand instructions. ‘They were in the impossible situation of either leaving their houses and the assistive devices they require to survive or staying behind without their families and caregivers and being exposed to a heightened risk of being killed,’ they said. ‘During evacuation attempts, women and girls with disabilities are particularly exposed to increased dangers and further trauma.’
Experts warned that physical, information and communication barriers make it almost impossible for people with disabilities to access the extremely scarce humanitarian aid available.
The international experts called on Israel to fully and effectively cooperate with international investigations and preserve evidence, particularly in relation to violations of the rights of persons with disabilities.
Source: Emirates News Agency