Video of visually impaired Palestinian boy crying over broken glasses draws global attention | Gaza

The video of a seven-year-old Palestinian child with serious vision impairment in Gaza crying because of his broken glasses attracted wide attention on social and international media.

Ayoub Junaid’s images shed light on the plight of many visually impaired children in Gaza who, due to the Israeli blockade and the devastation caused by war, cannot access eye examinations, corrective lenses or special eye surgery.

After the clip was watched by tens of millions of people, Ayoub was given new glasses. However, this good news does not solve the underlying problem as surgery is required immediately.

Ayoub’s mother, Eman Junaid, 30, who was displaced from the Gaza City port area, told the Guardian that her son’s problem started when he was two years old.

“Ayoub has a very serious problem with myopia after suffering from a fever,” he says. A doctor told Junaid that Ayoub’s eyesight would gradually improve as he got older, but the opposite happened; The prescription he needs has increased and the lenses he needs are currently not available in Gaza.

“We were getting ready to leave for treatment, but the war started and everything stopped,” he adds.

Junaid says Ayoub rarely left his tent. When he wants to play with his siblings or other children, he holds his glasses tightly and moves very carefully. Cannot run, jump or move freely. Doctors warned the family not to allow him to engage in strenuous activities as any fall or impact could further damage his retina.

Ayoub would ask his mother why he was different from other children. She often asks him: “Why don’t other kids wear glasses like me? Why can’t I move like them? Why can’t I go to school like them?”

“In late April, while walking with a family member on a road full of rubble, fell and hit his face “She fell to the floor, the glasses broke,” says her mother. “She burst into tears, rolled to the ground and desperately tried to put the pieces together. For Ayoub, those glasses were everything. Even with them, he can’t see clearly and often has to hold objects inches away from his face. But without them he can barely move.”

His family says the time Ayoub spent without his glasses was particularly distressing. For three or four days he rarely left one corner of the tent and could not move without assistance. When he tried to walk on his own, he would crouch close to the ground and bring his eyes closer to the ground to see his surroundings.

His relatives said that they tried to repair his glasses many times, but the damaged lenses could not be repaired.

“video “My post was taken when we arrived at the tent,” said his mother, and continues: “He was crying more on the street and said he wanted to have his glasses repaired because he couldn’t see without them. “After the video went viral, donors helped us and we were able to get new glasses, but it’s still not the right prescription he needs.”

According to his family, Ayoub’s emotional state showed signs of improvement. He seemed more willing to interact with visitors and those offering support in recent days. Although the change remains modest, his family says it brings them a sense of relief and hope.

Health officials in Gaza say the war has devastated eye care services, leaving thousands of visually impaired patients untreated due to severe shortages of medical equipment and surgical supplies.

Hospitals are missing basic items like surgical microscopes and phaco machines. Officials say more than 2,800 patients are currently waiting for cataract surgery alone, while the total backlog for eye procedures, including corneal transplants, glaucoma surgeries and reconstructive surgery, exceeds 4,000 cases.

In addition, Israeli bombardment around health facilities temporary closure Gaza City State Eye Hospital is the only public eye care center in the region.

Senior consultant in ophthalmology and eye surgery and hospital director, Dr. “The current situation clearly shows that there is a shortage of all medical consumables and surgical instruments,” says Hussam Dawoud. “We are currently providing about 60 percent of the services we provided before the war. The main reason for this is that Israel blocks the entry of medical equipment and surgical instruments.”

Doctors also reported a sharp increase in severe corneal infections, attributed to overcrowded living conditions, poor hygiene and limited access to medicine, with some patients suffering permanent vision loss.

Their situation is part of it a wider humanitarian crisis It affects children in Gaza. The number of child amputees per capita in the region is higher than anywhere else in the world. Tens of thousands of sick or injured young people continue to need urgent medical treatment, while many who need specialized care outside the region have not yet been evacuated.

According to the latest figures from health authorities in Gaza, approximately 4,000 children need urgent medical evacuation.

Dr., a surgeon working at the humanitarian aid organization Emergency in Gaza. “A child who breaks his glasses may remain blind for a long time because it is impossible to find spare glasses,” says İrdi Memaj. “Approximately 40% of patients treated at our clinic in Al-Qarara are children under the age of 14. One of the latest concerns has been parasite infestation. parasites and ratsThere have been numerous reports of children being bitten by rodents while sleeping.

According to the information obtained by the Guardian, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Regions of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the accusations regarding the restrictions on Gaza were rejected. “Israel is working to allow and facilitate the entry of all necessary medical equipment and continues to facilitate the entry of trucks carrying medical supplies into Gaza without any quantity restrictions,” the statement said.