Amid Israel's war on Lebanon, a 2yo silently suffers third-degree burns

Amid Israel's war on Lebanon, a 2yo silently suffers third-degree burns

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01 November, 2024


Wrapped in gauze from her head to her tiny toes, toddler Ivana Skayki lies nearly motionless in a hospital bed much too big for her. For weeks, she has been treated for severe burns sustained in Israeli strikes on her hometown in southern Lebanon. Skayki, who turns two next month, sustained burns to nearly 40% of her body, including half of her face, her chest and both upper limbs, according to Ziad Sleiman, plastic surgeon at the specialist burn unit in Beirut's Geitaoui Hospital. The unit is the only one across Lebanon equipped to deal with burns. Ivana's father Mohammad said his daughter was burned in Israeli strikes as they prepared to flee their hometown of Al-Aliyah on September 23, the day that Israel dramatically ramped up its strikes on Lebanon. The family managed to flee to the southern port city of Tyre, where Ivana got initial treatment. They moved again to another hospital, but with no department there for burns, Ivana only got partial treatment before they could reach Beirut. Geitaoui Hospital's burn unit has a typical capacity of nine beds, but has managed to increase to 25 with help from the health ministry to cope with the influx of patients.