Shadi al-Barawi.. from amputation to the barber's chair
The story of Shadi al-Barawi, 35, from Gaza, who was hit by shrapnel in his right leg during the war, and underwent amputation after attempts to save it failed. After recovering and receiving a prosthetic limb from Sheikh Hamad Hospital, he returned to his profession as a barber, but now works from a tent in displacement conditions, determined to regain his independence.
Shadi al-Barawi, 35, from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza, was hit by shrapnel in his right leg on August 13, 2025, while checking water tanks on the roof of his home, after Israeli aircraft targeted a neighboring house. Doctors' attempts to save his leg failed, and he underwent amputation after initial refusal. Al-Barawi, the sole breadwinner for a family of six after his father was killed in the war, faced difficulties adjusting to the loss of his leg. After receiving an ill-fitting prosthetic limb, he went to Sheikh Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, supported by the Qatar Fund for Development, where he received a more suitable silicone limb. Al-Barawi returned to his profession as a barber, but now works from a tent in war and displacement conditions, with limited tools, determined to regain his independence.