Gaza's children with Down syndrome struggle to rebuild skills lost to genocide
Gaza's children with Down syndrome struggle to rebuild skills lost to genocide Submitted by Abdallah al-Naami on Fri, 09/18/2026 - 11:03 Displacement, trauma and destroyed care centres force children and their families to start again amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis A child with Down syndrome smiles during a class held inside a makeshift tent in central Gaza (MEE/Abdallah al-Naami) Off After a…
In Gaza, children with Down syndrome are grappling with the aftermath of Israel's genocide, as they struggle to regain the skills they lost due to displacement, trauma, and destroyed care centers. The Right to Live Society (RLS), a prominent organization providing specialized care to these children, has been decimated by the conflict, leaving families to start anew.
One such child, 13-year-old Heba Alataar, returns to a makeshift tent classroom at the RLS centre in al-Zawaida, where she and her peers attempt to rebuild their skills. Heba's father, Alaa Alattar, credits the RLS for transforming his daughter's life, but now worries about her future. Israeli attacks have destroyed RLS facilities and claimed the lives of many children, while survivors face constant fear and harsh conditions in displacement.
The conflict has also led to a rapid increase in births of children with Down syndrome in Gaza, attributed to exposure to high levels of pollution from Israeli explosives and psychological stress.
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