Habiba Al-Askari: The Child Whose Limbs and Dreams Were Amputated by War
Denied urgent treatment due to war and blockade, a young girl from Gaza faces life-changing amputations as thousands more children await the same fate.
Watan-On a white hospital bed in Jordan, a small body lies surrounded by medical equipment struggling to save what remains of it. Six-year-old Habiba Al-Askari from Gaza was once a playful, energetic child like any other. But war, blockade, and disease have stolen that from her. Today, her family stands on the edge of despair as doctors deliver a devastating verdict: to save her life, both arms and a leg must be amputated.
A Preventable Tragedy
Habiba suffers from a rare genetic disorder, Protein C deficiency, which causes excessive blood clotting. In most parts of the world, this condition is treatable. But in Gaza, where medicine is scarce and hospitals are barely functioning, it becomes a slow death sentence. Despite desperate pleas for help, she could not leave the besieged enclave in time. By the time she arrived in Jordan, the infection had spread beyond control.
“This should never have happened,” says her uncle, Muath Mohammed, his voice heavy with grief. “If Habiba had received treatment earlier, she wouldn’t have needed amputation. But she was trapped in a place unfit for life.”
A Slow Death Journey
Her ordeal began months ago when the first symptoms appeared. With her father abducted by Israeli forces in 2024, her mother struggled alone to find treatment. As her condition worsened, the family desperately sought a way out.
Gaza’s hospitals were on the brink of collapse—lacking medicine, equipment, and staff—while international organizations tried, unsuccessfully, to secure her evacuation. Israeli authorities delayed permits, and by the time approval came, it was too late.
“Every minute that passed took another piece of her body,” her uncle says. “Gaza gave her nothing but pain.”
A Heartbreaking but Necessary Decision
By the time she reached Jordan, doctors fought hard to save her limbs, but gangrene had already spread. There was no other option—amputation was the only way to prevent her death.
Her doctor in Amman laments, “We could have saved her if she had arrived just weeks earlier. But she came too late.”
Now, her mother stands beside her hospital bed, holding back tears as she tells her daughter stories—of hope, of strength, of a future where she will overcome this nightmare.
“We Don’t Want More Habibas”
Habiba is not alone. According to the United Nations, she is just one of 2,500 children in Gaza desperately in need of medical evacuation. While the world discusses ceasefires and aid shipments, thousands of children are left waiting for the same cruel fate—simply because they were born in Gaza, where Israel, backed by the United States, continues its relentless oppression.
Her uncle makes a plea: “Habiba lost her limbs, but we don’t want to lose anyone else. These are not just numbers; these are lives. This suffering is preventable.”
As Habiba embarks on the painful journey of adjusting to her new reality, her story remains a testament to an injustice that must not be ignored. How many more “Habibas” are still waiting in line for their slow death?
