Gaza Strip-School/Visually Impaired Children
Gaza Strip-School/Visually Impaired Children
Dateline : Recent
Location : Gaza Strip
Duration : 1'56
Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of building of Al-Noor Centre, UN flag, Palestinians
2. Various of visually impaired children using canes; walking
3. Various of visually impaired children learning braille; blind typewriter
4. Tents, displaced people walking at refugee camp
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed in English) Mohammad Odeh, blind Palestinian child:
"This center has given me a new life. I can read and write in Braille, and I can walk using a cane. I made new friends here, and we play football together."
6. Various of Hassan Odeh talking with his child
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed in English) Hassan Odeh, father of Mohammad Odeh:
"Through your channel, watched by millions, I hope the world can see my son Mohammad who cannot see them, and see the environment he lives in. Is this a life fit for any human being? Life in a tent is not suitable for an ordinary person, let alone for a blind child struggling among tents and rubble."
8. Various of mother talking with her blind child
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed in English) Israa Abu Jarbou, mother of blind Palestinian child:
"Before my son joined this school, he was inactive. His brothers went to school while he stayed at home. When the school reopened, he became active again and his movement improved. He loves going to school."
10. Various of visually impaired children having class
Visually impaired children at the Al-Noor Center in Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza Strip city, are learning to navigate life after losing their sight in the wake of a devastating war.
Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued despite a U.S.-brokered truce that took effect in October. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations, which have killed more than 780 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers.
The UN has warned that the shelling and gunfire in residential area are endangering civilians. Among those affected are hundreds of children who have lost their sight.
As the number of cases continues to rise, the Al-Noor Center functions not merely as a school but as a lifeline. The center was established in 1962 and is run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Among the children it serves is Mohammad Odeh, who was injured by an unexploded remnant of war while playing among the rubble. He lost his eyesight and one of his hands in the blast.
"This center has given me a new life. I can read and write in Braille, and I can walk using a cane. I made new friends here, and we play football together," the boy said.
The impact of war continues to deepen the suffering of blind children. In displacement camps, tents, rubble and damaged streets make every step a challenge.
"I hope the world can see my son Mohammad, who cannot see them, and see the environment he lives in. Is this a life fit for any human being? Life in a tent is not suitable for an ordinary person, let alone for a blind child struggling among tents and rubble," said Hassan Odeh, Mohammad's father.
For many families, the school has become a source of hope for children learning to move forward despite blindness and loss.
"Before my son joined this school, he was inactive. His brothers went to school while he stayed at home. When the school reopened, he became active again and his movement improved. He loves going to school," said Israa Abu Jarbou, mother of a blind Palestinian child.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 17,000 Palestinians suffered eye injuries during the war. Children account for 20 percent of the cases, sharply increasing the number of visually impaired people in Gaza.
ID : 8476240
Published : 2026-04-24 16:43
Last Modified : 2026-04-24 17:40:22
Source : China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
More