Seven-year-old Shimaa had to have an arm and a leg amputated after a bomb attack in Gaza. In the media, we repeatedly encounter the four-year-old orphan Ahmad, who lost his family and both legs in the war. Shimaa and Ahmad share their fates with countless children from the Gaza Strip. Professor Hans Georg Näder, initiator of the Ottobock Global Foundation (OBGF), is certain: “We must help as many children as possible and providethem with medical technology.” In cooperation with the Egyptian patient care company Orthomedics, OBGF has already realised the first fittings. 

Professor Hans Georg Näderinitiated an appeal for donations by the OBGF in December 2023, which has raised around 20.000 euros to date. In addition, a further 100,000 euros will be provided from the OBGF's endowment. “Thanks to your willingness to donate, we can give new hopeto the disabled children in Gaza,” says Christin Franzel, member of the OBGF Executive Board. At the same time, she points out: “There is no infrastructure left in the Gaza Strip, and the main challenge remains to get the children to regions where care is available.” 

All levers in motion

Thanks to Ottobock’s proximity to a global network of NGOs, hospitals and patient care centres,Shimaa and five other children can now be treated in neighbouring Egypt. In a safe environment, the partner company Orthomedics fitted them with Ottobock prosthetic components. “The treatments in Egypt are just the beginning,” promises Oliver Jakobi, CEO of Ottobock and member of the OBGF Executive Board. 

Ottobock and OBGF are currently in contact with six NGOs to evacuate 100 children from Gaza. Many of them were recently in the Al-Shifa clinic in Gaza City, which is under heavy bombardment. They have suffered severe burns, in some cases losing several limbs, or are battling with massive internal injuries. Two-thirds of them need prostheses – young Ahmad is one of them. 

“In parallel to our activities in neighboring countries, we want to care for children like Ahmad in our European Patient Care companies," says Jakobi. Together with six other children, Ahmad is on his way to Italy. For some of them, this is a stopover on their way to the Ottobock.carecentre Pohlig in Traunstein, where they are to receive a new prosthesis – financed by OBGF.  

The moving story of Ahmad, who is accompanied on his journey by his uncle, is currently being featured in the German media. Watch a video from Reuters here:
Bombarded twice in Gaza, 4-year-old Ahmed loses parents, then legs | Reuters 

If you would like to support “People in Need – Help for the Children of Gaza” campaign,please donateto the following special account: 

Ottobock Global Foundation 
Deutsche Bank 
IBAN: DE55 1007 0000 0937 0370 00 
BIC: DEUTDEBBXXX 
Keyword: “People in Need – Help for the Children of Gaza”