29 April 2025 

Excellencies,

Mr. Bilal Ahmad, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,

Mr. Xu Chen, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China,

Esteemed representatives of the Permanent Missions to the UN,

Colleagues from UN agencies and civil society organizations,

This has been a fascinating discussion―and one that is long overdue.

Allow me to introduce Mahmoud Ajjour―aged nine―who was injured during an attack on Gaza City in March 2024. An explosion severed one of his arms and mutilated the other.

After being evacuated to Qatar for medical treatment and rehabilitation, Mahmoud is learning to use his feet to play games on his phone, write, and open doors.

He needs support for most daily activities, such as eating and dressing. 

We were never meant to know Mahmoud.

He should be spending his days at school, playing ball with his friends, negotiating with his parents over bedtime―anonymously living that ordinary, joyful life that every child deserves.

But now the world knows Mahmoud’s name―not for anything he has done, but for what has been done to him.

There are too many children like Mahmoud in our Region.

Indeed, the number of children needing assistive technology and rehabilitation as part of emergency responses is dramatically rising due to increasing conflicts, natural hazards, and disease outbreaks.

Children under the age of 15 account for 40 per cent of civilian trauma victims, and often die prematurely or acquire a long-term disability. Many of these cases are linked to war-related injuries: amputations, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and vision or hearing loss from blasts.

And this burden is not limited to children.

Today, more than 100 million people in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region require assistive technology such as hearing aids, mobility devices, communication tools, or prosthetics. Yet only a small fraction―one in every ten of them―have access.

Almost 180 million people across the Region live with a health condition that could benefit from rehabilitation services. More than half of those aged sixty and above require assistive technology.

Among refugee populations in Jordan and Lebanon, one in four individuals lives with an impairment, injury, or chronic health condition, facing additional barriers to accessing the support they need.

Rehabilitation services across the Region remain fragmented. Professional capacity is limited. Supply chains for quality assistive products are unreliable. And emergencies, sadly, strike hardest where systems are already weakest.

Rehabilitation and assistive technology are not a “nice-to-have”—they are a fundamental part of health care and a core component of universal health coverage, especially in emergencies.

We must invest now to build stronger, more resilient systems that can respond when people need them most.

Today’s call for action outlines three critical focus areas:

First, institutional strengthening and pre-positioning: We must build systems, train personnel, and stock products before the next emergency strikes.

Second, preparedness: Countries must integrate rehabilitation and assistive technology into national emergency plans, ensuring they are part of the first response—not an afterthought.

Third, emergency response: We must ensure that, when crises occur, rapid, coordinated rehabilitation and assistive technology services can be activated immediately.

WHO’s recent work in Morocco (2023) and Myanmar (2025) shows how early action saves lives and reduces long-term impairments.

In Gaza, WHO is working to assess needs, supply assistive products, and coordinate rehabilitation services amid devastating conflict.

Rehabilitation professionals are now embedded within WHO-supported Emergency Medical Teams globally, and trauma kits include essential rehabilitation supplies.

But with over 300 million people around the world impacted by humanitarian crises, much more needs to be done.

WHO’s multi-partner programme seeks to raise US$35 million over three years to drive comprehensive global action on ensuring access to assistive technology and rehabilitation services in humanitarian crises.

I invite you to join us in supporting this critical initiative that puts into action our shared commitment to dignity, equity, and resilience for all.

Finally, I warmly thank the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People’s Republic of China for championing this agenda by hosting today’s event.

Thank you.