Children in Gaza face hearing loss from blasts, treatment delayed by blockade

Wateen al-Ajrami was just over a year old when a blast shook the storage room in northern Gaza's Jabalia where her family was sheltering. Her mother Mariam recalls that during an Israeli strike last August, Wateen stood near a door. Though no visible injuries appeared, days later the child stopped responding to calls and pointed to her ears. A hearing test revealed approximately 85% hearing loss in her left ear and 90% in her right ear, classified as severe to profound. The doctor attributed it to the blast wave.

The family has since undergone further tests and submitted reports to the World Health Organization hoping for a medical referral outside Gaza, but they continue to wait. Israel has restricted imports of hearing aids and other devices.

According to UN agencies and health organizations, the number of children suffering partial or total hearing loss from explosions and heavy bombardment has risen sharply. Pre-war estimates indicated about 20,000 people with hearing disabilities in Gaza, but field workers now estimate the figure at 30,000 to 40,000. There are acute shortages of hearing aids, batteries, and cochlear implant parts, and many rehabilitation centers have been damaged or closed.

Three-year-old Usaid al-Shami lost most of his hearing at around four months old. His mother Mariam says he cannot hear warnings: he was attacked by dogs because he didn't hear them barking, and has narrowly escaped road accidents multiple times.

Fadel Kuraz, a sign language interpreter and disability rights activist with the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, calls the situation catastrophic. Even hearing aid batteries are unavailable. Doctors stress that both Wateen and Usaid need cochlear implant surgery, which is only available outside Gaza. Time is critical, as surgery is recommended before age five. Wateen's mother fears for her daughter's future, saying other children talk and laugh while Wateen sits watching them in silence.