A third of outpatients treated for wounds at MSF's Gaza hospitals in 2024 were children, figures show

"Children under 15 years old made up almost a third of outpatients treated for wounds in field hospitals run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Gaza last year, statistics published in The Lancet reveal. The figures were released by MSF in correspondence with the respected medical journal and come from six health facilities in Gaza supported by the international medical NGO. The facilities are predominantly in the south and centre of the devastated territory."

"Bombs, shelling or shooting was involved in just under half of these, MSF said. The death toll in the Israeli offensive launched following the Hamas raid into Israel in October 2023 has risen to more than 62,000, according to a count by the ministry of health in Gaza that is used by much of the UN, and which the British government says is a reasonable figure. Of these, more than half are women or children. The proportion could be higher."

"On Monday, Israel twice struck Nasser hospital, the last functioning public hospital in southern Gaza, killing 20 people, among them five journalists. Witnesses said the second strike came just as media and rescue crews arrived 15 minutes after the first bombing. Statistics of people wounded during the Israeli offensive have received less attention. More than 150,000 have been injured, according to the Gaza health authorities. Explosive weapons are designed to be used in open battlefields, but are increasingly being used in urban areas, MSF said."

Children under 15 accounted for almost a third of outpatient wound cases treated in MSF-run field hospitals across six Gaza facilities. More than 90,000 outpatient wound consultations occurred in 2024, with bombs, shelling or shooting involved in just under half. Gaza health authorities report over 62,000 deaths since October 2023, more than half women or children, and over 150,000 injured. Israeli military data indicate five of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces were civilians. Israeli officials report taking precautions and accuse Hamas of using civilians as human shields. Repeated strikes have struck Nasser hospital, killing civilians and journalists. Explosive weapons increasingly used in urban areas leave makeshift shelters largely unprotective.

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