Children brought from Gaza to heal in Lebanon caught in another war

The first of the wounded Palestinian children arrived in Lebanon in May

When Zarifa Nawfal’s family arrived in Beirut for her wounded daughter’s surgery, one of the first things she wanted to do was go to the sea. The Mediterranean had been a constant companion at their home in Gaza before the war.

“The moment I smelled the sea, I felt at peace inside — as if I were in Gaza,” she said.

But soon their place of refuge reminded her of home in far more distressing ways.

Ms. Nawfal’s 7-year-old daughter, Halima Abou Yassine, is one of a dozen severely wounded Palestinian children brought to Lebanon this year for treatment through a programme launched by a British-Palestinian surgeon, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta.

But months after their arrival, Lebanon is itself embroiled in a war some fear will end in Gaza-like destruction.

In February, Ms. Nawfal was staying with her five children and her mother in an apartment in central Gaza. They had been displaced from their home in the north and Ms. Nawfal’s husband was missing, likely dead.

The children were filling water containers outside when two missiles struck, Ms. Nawfal said. She rushed outside and found Halima, the youngest, lying in the street, her skull cracked open, her brain exposed.

Through her shock, Ms. Nawfal said, “I was relieved that her body was in one piece.” In Gaza, blasts often ripped people apart, leaving their loved ones without even a body to bury.

The family was evacuated to Egypt in May. In July, they boarded a plane for Lebanon.

The first of the wounded Palestinian children arrived in Lebanon in May. Five-year-old Adam Afana had nearly lost his left arm in a blast that killed his father and sister.

His arm was paralysed and he needed a complex surgery to correct the nerve damage.

At the time, Lebanon was already embroiled in a low-simmering conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Dr. Abu Sitta said he chose Lebanon for the wounded children’s treatment because the Mediterranean country has specialists with wide experience treating war injuries.

Lebanon has been through its share of conflicts, including a 15-year civil war that ended in 1990 and a brutal monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, as well as spillover effects from other regional conflicts.

“Even after the end of the wars (in Lebanon), the wounded from Iraq and Syria would come here for that kind of complex and multistage treatment,” Dr. Abu Sitta said.

In July, Halima underwent successful surgery to repair her skull at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.

Ms. Nawfal said her daughter has lingering memory problems but is improving with therapy

The numbers of wounded Lebanese children are still far lower than in Gaza. As of last week, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said 192 children had been killed and at least 1,255 wounded since October 2023. In Gaza, more than 13,000 children have been killed and thousands more have been wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Toll on children

Dr. Abu Sitta said the wounds of children in Lebanon are “identical to the injuries of Palestinian children from Gaza.” Most were wounded while at home.

“As in Gaza, this war takes its toll on children,” he said. “All wars are waged on children.”

Published - November 14, 2024 08:46 am IST