Fayez and Mena: Walking Together Again
Фаиз и Мена — брат и сестра. They were injured in a bombing and are now learning to walk with prosthetic limbs. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 42,000 people in the Gaza Strip live with lifelong injuries, making up a quarter of all reported injuries (167,376 since October 2023). Among those affected, one quarter are children.
Life Before the War
Fayez is 24 years old and his little sister, Mena, is 12. Before the conflict, their lives centered around their family shop in the Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, east of the Gaza Strip. Fayez helped his father in the store, while Mena attended school. Their mother cared for the children.
“We lived simply, but happily,” Fayez recalls. “We were together, and that was enough for us.”
Injury and Recovery
Since September, they have been visiting the Nahla prosthetics and orthotics centre, established by HI in Khan Younes, to learn how to walk with their prosthetic limbs. Last July, an Israeli missile hit the camp for displaced persons in the Al-Mashaala neighbourhood south of Deir al-Balah, where they had taken refuge. Fayez and Mena suffered serious injuries that led to amputations.
Another sister was also seriously injured. After surgery, Médecins du Monde France referred Fayez and Mena to HI for prosthetics and rehabilitation. The tragedy strengthened their bond.
“Our relationship grew even stronger after the accident.”
Summary: Fayez and Mena, siblings injured in a bombing, are rebuilding their lives together with prosthetic limbs, exemplifying resilience amid conflict.