Amman, June 27 (Petra) -- Tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip have suffered severe hearing damage due to repeated explosions caused by Israeli airstrikes since October 2023, the United Nations said on Saturday.

In a report marking the International Deafblind Awareness Day, which is observed annually on June 27, the UN highlighted that many individuals with disabilities in Gaza have also lost their essential assistive devices, including wheelchairs and hearing aids.

The United Nations News Agency reported that the war in Gaza has compounded the vulnerability of this demographic. The UN noted that many individuals cannot hear evacuation orders, see escape routes, or move without assistance, placing them at double the risk in a rapidly shifting environment of danger and forced displacement.

The report added that the majority of Gaza's population continues to face insecurity alongside prolonged and repeated displacement, with severely limited access to basic services. Overcrowded displacement sites, damaged buildings, and makeshift shelters lack adequate water, sanitation, and protection infrastructure, making the daily survival of people with disabilities significantly more complex and hazardous.

//Petra// AF