UAE Floating Hospital Provides Prosthetic Limbs to 51 Palestinian Amputees

Step of Hope initiative combines 3D scanning, customised prosthetic fabrication and rehabilitation support for Gaza amputees

July 29, 2026

The UAE’s floating hospital in Al Arish, Egypt, has provided customised prosthetic limbs to 51 Palestinian amputeesthrough the Step of Hope humanitarian initiative, offering vital prosthetic and rehabilitation support to people who lost limbs during the conflict in Gaza.

The initiative was launched to expand assistance for Palestinian civilians with limb loss. As part of the programme, patients undergo clinical assessment at the floating hospital, where measurements are taken to develop prosthetic limbs suited to their individual needs.

A key component of the programme is the use of 3D scanning technology. Teams in Gaza scan patients’ residual limbs to create digital data that can be shared with specialists at the floating hospital in Al Arish. The information is then used in the fabrication and fitting of customised prosthetic limbs.

The approach allows prosthetic services to be coordinated across locations, connecting patient assessment and scanning in Gaza with prosthetic fabrication and fitting at the floating hospital in Egypt.

The Step of Hope programme also aims to establish a more sustainable prosthetic care system in Gaza. Plans include the construction of facilities for local prosthetic manufacturing, the creation of storage depots and increased financial support for existing prosthetic workshops.

The UAE floating hospital has been an important part of the country’s humanitarian medical response for Palestinians. Operations at the vessel began on February 24, 2024, and the facility is equipped with surgical and intensive-care units, radiology services and laboratories. It has 100 patient beds, along with an additional 100 beds for accompanying relatives.

The prosthetic initiative highlights the growing role of technology and coordinated prosthetic services in supporting people with limb loss following conflict-related injuries. Beyond providing an artificial limb, effective prosthetic care requires assessment, residual-limb scanning and measurement, customised fabrication, fitting and follow-up.

The UAE has also established a field hospital and two medical centres in Gaza and has transferred thousands of patients, including people suffering from cancer and war-related injuries, to the UAE for medical treatment.

The Step of Hope programme represents another component of these humanitarian efforts, with its focus specifically extending to prosthetic restoration and support for Palestinian amputees.

Source: The National, July 29, 2026.

Source

The National — July 29, 2026
UAE’s floating hospital fits 51 Palestinian patients with prosthetic limbs