Imperial College London and Community Jameel, in collaboration with the UK Government, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), the Mérieux Foundation and UK-Med, announced today the launch of Caring for Blast-Injured Children in Gaza.
The new project will, in its initial phase, address the urgent medical and rehabilitation needs of more than 1,000 paediatric amputees and other children who have suffered severe physical injuries due to the ongoing conflict and the collapse of adequate care.
Since the onset of the conflict in Gaza in 2023, more than 1.4 million people have been displaced, over 75,000 lives have been lost, and at least 4,000 children have sustained amputations due to wounds from explosive weapons. The unprecedented scale of devastation has overwhelmed Gaza's healthcare systems, making immediate, coordinated international support critical.
"Rigorous research is essential to address the many unanswered questions and develop evidence-based solutions that can improve outcomes for children affected by conflict, both now and in the future." Professor Anthony Bull Director of the Caring for Blast-Injured Children in Gaza project
The project will bring together leading clinicians and engineers specialising in surgery, rehabilitation, and prosthetic technology to improve standards of care for blast injury survivors and strengthen first-response capacity in conflict settings. It will be anchored at the Centre for Paediatric Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London — the world's first centre dedicated to understanding and treating blast injuries in children. With its network of world-class hospitals and over 450 clinical staff, Imperial consistently ranks among the top institutions globally for clinical, preclinical and health sciences, and blends centuries of pioneering heritage with cutting-edge research, clinical excellence and deep National Health Service (NHS) partnerships.
In Gaza, the project is partnering with UK-Med, a frontline medical non-governmental organisation providing healthcare in emergencies. With support from the UK Government, UK-Med built and operates two field hospitals in Gaza, in addition to supporting the emergency department at Nasser Medical Complex and rehabilitating Sheikh Radwan Hospital, Gaza City. Their team includes NHS workers and international and national staff, with UK-Med surgeons and clinicians participating in the project, providing clinical care to children affected by blast injuries in Gaza.
The Caring for Blast-Injured Children in Gaza project's core areas of focus include:
- Surgery, surgical technologies and wound and infection management – advancing life-saving surgical techniques, minimising post-operative complications and addressing the challenge of antimicrobial resistance in conflict zones.
- Prosthetics, orthotics and rehabilitation technologies – utilising the latest in prosthetic technology to support children's mobility and long-term rehabilitation needs.
- Policy, standards, education and training – informing and influencing public health policies, advocating for best practices and building capacity to enhance the standard of care in conflict-affected regions.
The project will be anchored at the Centre for Paediatric Blast Injury Studies at Imperial's White City Campus.
The Rt Hon Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister of State (International Development and Africa) for the UK Government, said: "Thousands of children in Gaza have been left with life-changing injuries, including amputations, after more than two and a half devastating years of conflict. The UK Government is proud to be supporting this project providing rehabilitative and prosthetic treatment for children with blast injuries."
HE Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor – Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), said: "The children of Gaza carry profound wounds that no child should ever bear — both physical and psychological. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always stood by the Palestinian people, and KSrelief's participation in the Caring for Blast-Injured Children in Gaza programme is a continuation of the ongoing support and assistance provided by KSrelief in different humanitarian sectors in Gaza. We believe humanitarian action must go beyond emergency relief — it must restore dignity, capability, and hope. KSrelief is most pleased to work with UK-Med, Imperial College London, Community Jameel and others to deliver advanced surgical, prosthetic, and rehabilitative care to over 1,000 children. It is not only a medical imperative — it is a moral one. KSrelief has vast experience in dealing with blast and landmine-affected victims through its multiple programs in Yemen, Syria, Azerbaijan, and Iraq."
"Thousands of children in Gaza have been left with life-changing injuries, including amputations, after more than two and a half devastating years of conflict. The UK Government is proud to be supporting this project providing rehabilitative and prosthetic treatment for children with blast injuries." The Rt Hon Baroness Chapman of Darlington Minister of State (International Development and Africa) for the UK Government
Professor Anthony Bull, Professor of Musculoskeletal Mechanics at Imperial and Director of the Caring for Blast-Injured Children in Gaza project, said: "Today, one in five children worldwide lives in a conflict zone, where they face a disproportionate risk of being killed or injured by explosive weapons. Rigorous research is essential to address the many unanswered questions and develop evidence-based solutions that can improve outcomes for children affected by conflict, both now and in the future. While conducting research in humanitarian and conflict settings is undeniably challenging, it is also vital. Imperial is proud to partner with Community Jameel and UK-Med to deliver this transformational project, which has the potential to greatly improve care for blast-injured children."
George Richards, Director of Community Jameel, said: "Children are seven times more likely to die from blast injuries than adults and the horrifying death toll of children in Gaza reflects this. The Caring for Blast-Injured Children in Gaza project offers hope by equipping clinicians working in the wreckage of Gaza's hospitals with new prosthetics and orthotics, advanced surgical techniques and specialist wound management technologies that will alleviate the suffering of more than a thousand children."
David Wightwick CMG, Chief Executive Officer of UK-Med, said: "At UK-Med, we are proud to stand alongside Imperial College London and Community Jameel in delivering urgent, life-saving care to children in Gaza. This project is a vital step in ensuring that those most vulnerable – young survivors of blast injuries – receive the specialised treatment and long-term rehabilitation they desperately need."
Dr Josette Najjar-Pellet, MENA Regional Director at the Mérieux Foundation, said: "We are proud to collaborate on this project, focusing on a crucial, often overlooked aspect of advanced care: biological diagnosis. Through a stepwise approach, we will establish a clinical bacteriology unit in Gaza. This initiative aims to enhance the standard of care by ensuring precise pathogen identification, thereby guiding appropriate treatment and, critically, combating the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. By strengthening local laboratory capacity, the Mérieux Foundation aims to contribute to urgent public health challenges along with long-term health resilience by improving outcomes for these vulnerable children."
