The children of Gaza are running out of time to feel the explosion because of the explosion | Israel-Palestine War News

Wateen al-Ajrami was just over a year old when an explosion rocked the simple storage room in northern Gaza’s Jabalia where his siblings were hiding.

His mother, Mariam, explains that Wateen was standing by the door during the Israeli strike in August last year.

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Mariam caught Wateen seeing the fear in his eyes as the child covered his ears and screamed.

But there were no physical injuries. Wateen was not bleeding or broken, and there were no scars left in him.

After two or three days, Mariam and her family began to see terrible things.

“I was calling Wateen but he didn’t answer… I was talking to him and nothing happened,” says Mariam, adding that Wateen points to his ears.

Shortly after the doctor examined him, he discovered what Mariam had started to fear: Wateen had almost lost his hearing due to the explosion.

The little girl had about 85 percent hearing loss in her left ear, and 90 percent in her right ear, which is generally considered to be somewhere between profound and profound hearing loss.

“It was a very strange moment… Your child is healthy, just started saying his first words, and suddenly the doctor tells you that he has lost his hearing,” says Mariam, tears welling up in her eyes.

According to Mariam, the doctor explained that the cause was the strong explosion of the strike. He said Wateen’s case was not the first of its kind he had seen Israel’s war of destruction in Gazawhich started in October 2023.

Since that day, the family’s life has turned into a series of medical appointments and searches for ways to restore Wateen’s hearing.

The child also underwent an MRI scan. Medical reports were prepared and sent to the World Health Organization in the hope of receiving a sent to the hospital outside of Gaza.

But the wait continues.

An unsafe place

Figures from the United Nations and health organizations show a significant increase in children in Gaza suffering from partial or total hearing loss as a result of bombings and bombings.

Blast waves are the cause of inner ear injuries, along with traumatic brain injury and severe mental shock, according to medical teams working in Gaza.

Data from humanitarian aid centers and private organizations in Gaza indicate that before Israel’s war, about 20,000 people were thought to be suffering from hearing loss.

However, field workers warn that the number has risen sharply since the start of the war, with the number reaching 30,000 to 40,000 people with hearing loss or disabilities, including many children. These groups face serious problems due to the collapse of the health system which was brought about by the war, the damaged environment, and limited access to cochlear implants and hearing aids.

Deaf and hard of hearing organizations in Gaza have reported severe shortages of hearing aids, batteries, and cochlear implants due to the import ban. Many treatment centers that provide speech therapy and psychological support and education have been destroyed or closed, which threatens the development of children’s language during the most critical period of development.

International humanitarian law and UN agencies state that children with disabilities in conflict zones – especially those with hearing problems – face risks that threaten their lives and increase their vulnerability.

In war, survival often depends on hearing warnings such as explosions, airplanes, or evacuation calls. With hearing loss, children lose these “warning signals”, making them unable to recognize danger or respond in time.

That is the problem that Usaid al-Shami, a three-year-old who lost his hearing when he was four months old, at a time when the war was very difficult in southern Gaza.

His mother, Mariam, says that his daily life is a nightmare because he cannot hear what is happening around him.

He said: “One time the dogs attacked him because they didn’t hear him screaming. “The children who were near him ran away, but they didn’t, they didn’t hear him, but only God’s mercy saved him.

He also said that he has also survived many road accidents, due to cars and motorbikes that he did not hear coming.

“I’m always scared and anxious, like I’m in another war within a war.”

Growing problems

Fadel Kuraz, a sign language interpreter and activist for the rights of the disabled in Gaza with the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, says the scale of the problem has increased since the war began.

Kuraz explains that the number of people with hearing problems or disabilities was estimated at about 20,000 before the war, but now it has risen – according to field estimates – to about 35,000.

“Because of the constant explosions and bombings, the number has increased dramatically,” Kuraz told Al Jazeera.

“These people can’t interact with people or communicate with their communities.”

One step in the right direction would be access to hearing aids, from medical hearing aids to batteries and repair kits, as well as cochlear implants.

But like many other issues facing Gaza right now, there was a major obstacle: Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian Authority.

The blockade, which Israel has not lifted despite a ceasefire that began in October, has led to a severe shortage of medical supplies.

“Technical systems prevent access to assistive devices, cochlear implants, and artificial devices, making things even more difficult,” Kuraz said.

According to Kuraz, many of the centers that once provided screening and rehabilitation services have been destroyed or are no longer functioning, reducing the ability to pursue new cases – especially for children who need immediate intervention.

He said: “We are facing a huge disaster. Even batteries for hearing aids are no longer available.

He warns that if the situation continues, a whole generation of children may lose their ability to learn language and communicate naturally, if there are no cochlear implants and early intervention methods.

Struggling with getting hearing aids

Wateen is currently undergoing speech and hearing therapy at the Hamad Hospital in Gaza, where experts are trying to teach him to respond and develop communication skills despite his hearing.

In the end, he received two hearing aids, which have helped to improve his hearing.

However, doctors continue to emphasize that hearing aids alone are not the last resort.

Both Wateen and Usaid need cochlear implant surgery, which is only available outside of Gaza. Israel continues to deny permission to Palestinians in Gaza to travel outside the territory, including for medical treatment.

But children suffering from hearing problems do not have unlimited time – doctors recommend cochlear surgery before the age of five to be effective.

Wateen’s mother, Mariam, explains that the time has always been a concern, as doctors warn that delaying the placement of an IV can affect the child’s language and speech, especially in the most difficult years.

“I think about him day and night,” says the woman, her voice filled with exhaustion and fear. “It’s not just today… I’m only thinking about the future. How will they feel?”

At home, the family tries to surround Wateen with special care.

“The children who live near him understand each other, they talk and laugh, and he just sits quietly and looks at them.”

In such cases, the mother feels that her child feels that there is an obstacle that separates him from the world around him.

Sometimes, Wateen cries or gets upset without anyone understanding what he wants.

“I don’t want anything… Nothing,” said the woman, shedding tears. “Just to walk and get a cochlear implant.”