Pakistani startup aids Gaza survivors
Sidra was injured while sheltering at Nuseirat School, one of several Gaza schools converted into makeshift refuges from Israeli strikes.
Her mother, Sabreen Al Bordeeni, said Gaza's collapsed health services and the family's inability to leave at the time made it impossible to save her hand.
"She's out playing, and all her friends and siblings are fascinated by her arm," Al Bordeeni said on the phone, repeatedly thanking God for this day. "I can't express how grateful I am to see my daughter happy."
The arm was built over 4,000 kilometres away in Karachi by Bioniks, a Pakistani company that uses a smartphone app to take pictures from different angles and create a 3D model for custom prosthetics.
CEO Anas Niaz said the social enterprise startup had fit more than 1,000 custom-designed arms inside Pakistan since 2021 - funded through a mix of patient payments, corporate sponsorship, and donations - but this was its first time providing prosthetics to those impacted in conflict.
Sidra and three-year-old Habebat Allah, who lost both her arms and a leg in Gaza, went through days of remote consultations and virtual fittings. Then Niaz flew from Karachi to Amman to meet the girls and make his company's first overseas delivery.
Sidra's device was funded by Mafaz Clinic in Amman, while donations from Pakistanis paid for Habebat's. Mafaz CEO Entesar Asaker said the clinic partnered with Bioniks for its low costs, remote solutions and ability to troubleshoot virtually.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
14 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Altaf Hussain's health condition ‘getting better'
Health condition of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain is improving, said the party leader, amid social media speculations a day after Altaf was admitted to hospital after his condition deteriorated. Senior MQM leader Mustafa Azizabadi said the health of MQM's founder is better today compared to yesterday. 'Various tests were conducted on him. By the grace of Allah Almighty and the prayers of the nation, Altaf Bhai's health has improved,' he said. Relaying the party supporters of Altaf's improving condition, Azizabadi dispelled the 'rumours being spread on social media about Altaf Bhai', saying workers should maintain unity in their ranks. Doctors prescribe multiple tests, transfusion as Altaf Hussain hospitalised in London Whereas, MQM Deputy Convener Coordination Committee Qasim Ali Raza said a team of various expert and distinguished doctors conducted a detailed medical examination of Altaf, at a local hospital in London. 'The panel of doctors, in light of the reports from various tests conducted yesterday, agreed to continue the medications given to Altaf Hussain,' he wrote in a social media post. In addition, he said, due to a decrease in blood counts, doctors have advised continuing blood transfusions for the MQM founder today as well. Altaf was hospitalised in London on Thursday night, where doctors prescribed him various diagnostic tests including blood tests, ECG, CT scan, X-ray and ultrasound. In a post on X a day ago, Azizabadi said: 'Mr Altaf Hussain has since long been suffering from severe emotional stress which included the domestic and international geo-political situations, multiple law suits in London, and fiscal difficulties.' Azizabadi had also said Altaf had been admitted to a hospital in London due to severe illness, where various tests had been conducted on him. The MQM founder has been living in self-exile in London since 1992. He had long been active in Pakistani politics delivering speeches and messages through phone calls, until he was declared fugitive after serious charges were levelled against him in 2015.
Express Tribune
17 hours ago
- Express Tribune
At least 60 Palestinians killed, 180 wounded in Israeli strikes today
Heavily damaged ambulances lie outside the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 11, 2025. PHOTO: AFP Listen to article At least 60 Palestinians have been killed and 180 wounded in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn, including 27 people reportedly seeking humanitarian aid, according to health officials. In Gaza City, four people were killed and 10 injured when an Israeli air strike hit a residence on Jaffa Street in the Tuffah area, in the city's east. Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said the death toll from an Israeli strike on tents sheltering displaced civilians in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, has risen to 11. Al-Mawasi is designated by Israeli forces as a "humanitarian zone". In central Gaza, two people were killed and several wounded in an Israeli drone attack on a tent for displaced families south of Deir el-Balah, according to medical staff at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Separately, Wafa news agency reported that a mother and her three children were killed in a strike on Jamal Abdel Nasser Street, near the Islamic University in western Gaza City. UNRWA renews call for Israel to lift Gaza siege The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has renewed its call on Israel to lift its months-long siege on Gaza and allow full humanitarian access, warning of severe health risks for civilians. In a statement posted on X, the agency said the ongoing blockade has left Gaza's two million residents without basic necessities. No soap, no clean water. Children in #Gaza can't be bathed properly because of the ongoing siege. This, coupled with overcrowded shelters and summer heat, can lead to dire health consequences. The siege must be lifted. UNRWA must be allowed to resume delivering humanitarian… — UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 12, 2025 'No soap, no clean water. Children in Gaza can't be bathed properly because of the ongoing siege,' UNRWA said. 'This, coupled with overcrowded shelters and summer heat, can lead to dire health consequences. The siege must be lifted.' Israel halted most humanitarian aid to Gaza in April after the collapse of a previous ceasefire agreement. Since then, it has restricted deliveries to a single route managed by the GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation), which has been widely criticised by aid agencies. Humanitarian experts have described the system as 'inhumane' and said the aid mechanism has resulted in the deaths of at least 800 Palestinians, many of whom were attempting to reach aid convoys. Power cuts hit Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital as fuel runs out Power has been cut in parts of Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, the territory's largest medical facility, due to a fuel shortage. Parts of Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital have lost power due to depleted fuel supplies, the facility's director, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, told Al Jazeera. Read: Nearly 800 Gazans killed awaiting aid distribution: UN 'We've been warning for days and weeks about fuel shortages,' he said, adding that the hospital is in a state of emergency and has only hours of fuel left. Critical units including blood banks, neonatal wards, and oxygen stations have ceased functioning. 'Patients will face certain death if fuel is not supplied,' Salmiya warned. He also noted a rise in meningitis cases, linking it to the lack of clean drinking water in the enclave. Hamas says Gaza 'will not surrender' Hamas has dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to free captives and force Hamas to surrender, calling his statements a sign of 'psychological defeat,' according to Al Jazeera. In a brief statement, the group said Israel's military efforts have failed to recover captives and reiterated that only a negotiated deal with the resistance could lead to their release. 'Gaza will not surrender,' Hamas said. US citizen reportedly killed by Israeli settlers in West Bank The United States is aware of reports that a Palestinian American man was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, a State Department spokesperson said, according to Reuters. Local media identified the victim as Saif al-Din Kamel Abdul Karim Musallat, a man in his 20s from Tampa, Florida. Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing the health ministry, said he died after settlers attacked a town north of Ramallah, injuring several others. Relatives told The Washington Post that Musallat was fatally beaten. The State Department said it had no further comment, citing privacy concerns. The Israeli military said it is investigating the incident in the town of Sinjil, claiming that rocks were thrown at Israelis and that a 'violent confrontation developed in the area.' Israel says it has killed six senior Hamas Israel says it has killed six senior Hamas naval operatives in a series of operations carried out over recent months, according to a statement reported by Al Jazeera. Read more: Netanyahu demands Hamas disarm before Gaza peace deal The Israeli military alleges the individuals were involved in planning maritime attacks targeting Israeli civilians and security forces, and claims some played a role in the October 7 assault. No evidence was provided to support the claims. #عاجل 🔻في عمليات مشتركة لجيش الدفاع والشاباك تم القضاء على ستة مخربين بارزين من الكوماندوز البحري التابع لحماس 🔻في عمليات مشتركة نفذتها قوات سلاح البحرية، وهيئة الاستخبارات العسكرية، وجهاز الأمن العام (الشاباك) وقيادة المنطقة الجنوبية في الأشهر الأخيرة تم القضاء على ستة مخربين… — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 11, 2025 Israel's war on Gaza The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 57,481 Palestinians, including 134,592 children. More than 111,588 people have been injured, and over 14,222 are missing and presumed dead. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. The proposed deal includes a pause in hostilities, increased humanitarian aid, and negotiations on the release of captives.
Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Power cuts hit Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital as fuel runs out
Heavily damaged ambulances lie outside the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 11, 2025. PHOTO: AFP Listen to article Power has been cut in parts of Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, the territory's largest medical facility, due to a fuel shortage. Parts of Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital have lost power due to depleted fuel supplies, the facility's director, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, told Al Jazeera. 'We've been warning for days and weeks about fuel shortages,' he said, adding that the hospital is in a state of emergency and has only hours of fuel left. Critical units including blood banks, neonatal wards, and oxygen stations have ceased functioning. 'Patients will face certain death if fuel is not supplied,' Salmiya warned. He also noted a rise in meningitis cases, linking it to the lack of clean drinking water in the enclave. Hamas says Gaza 'will not surrender' Hamas has dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to free captives and force Hamas to surrender, calling his statements a sign of 'psychological defeat,' according to Al Jazeera. In a brief statement, the group said Israel's military efforts have failed to recover captives and reiterated that only a negotiated deal with the resistance could lead to their release. 'Gaza will not surrender,' Hamas said. US citizen reportedly killed by Israeli settlers in West Bank The United States is aware of reports that a Palestinian American man was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, a State Department spokesperson said, according to Reuters. Read: Nearly 800 Gazans killed awaiting aid distribution: UN Local media identified the victim as Saif al-Din Kamel Abdul Karim Musallat, a man in his 20s from Tampa, Florida. Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing the health ministry, said he died after settlers attacked a town north of Ramallah, injuring several others. Relatives told The Washington Post that Musallat was fatally beaten. The State Department said it had no further comment, citing privacy concerns. The Israeli military said it is investigating the incident in the town of Sinjil, claiming that rocks were thrown at Israelis and that a 'violent confrontation developed in the area.' Israel says it has killed six senior Hamas Israel says it has killed six senior Hamas naval operatives in a series of operations carried out over recent months, according to a statement reported by Al Jazeera. Read more: Netanyahu demands Hamas disarm before Gaza peace deal The Israeli military alleges the individuals were involved in planning maritime attacks targeting Israeli civilians and security forces, and claims some played a role in the October 7 assault. No evidence was provided to support the claims. #عاجل 🔻في عمليات مشتركة لجيش الدفاع والشاباك تم القضاء على ستة مخربين بارزين من الكوماندوز البحري التابع لحماس 🔻في عمليات مشتركة نفذتها قوات سلاح البحرية، وهيئة الاستخبارات العسكرية، وجهاز الأمن العام (الشاباك) وقيادة المنطقة الجنوبية في الأشهر الأخيرة تم القضاء على ستة مخربين… — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 11, 2025 Israel's war on Gaza The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 57,481 Palestinians, including 134,592 children. More than 111,588 people have been injured, and over 14,222 are missing and presumed dead. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. The proposed deal includes a pause in hostilities, increased humanitarian aid, and negotiations on the release of captives.
