How 3D masks are helping to heal facial burns in Gaza

MSF is the only provider of 3D-printed physiotherapy masks in Gaza, but we are running out of key supplies amid ongoing attacks by Israeli forces.

April 14, 2026

During a follow-up session at MSF’s Gaza City clinic, MSF physiotherapist Ibtihal marks adjustments on Salam’s 3D mask to improve its fit as her facial burns heal.

During a follow-up session at MSF’s Gaza City clinic, MSF physiotherapist Ibtihal Alwali marks adjustments on Salam’s 3D mask to improve its fit as her facial burns heal. | Palestine 2026 © Nour Alsaqqa/MSF

The fragile ceasefire in Gaza that was announced on October 10, 2025, has not stopped regular attacks by Israeli forces across the Strip, leading to severe burn injuries for a large number of people.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams continue to treat an alarming number of patients with severe facial burns at our clinic in Gaza City. Among the most vulnerable are children, who currently make up 85 percent of patients at the clinic.

To prevent permanent disfigurement and disability, patients require specialized pressure therapy masks. These masks apply consistent pressure to heal burns, preventing hypertrophic scarring and contractures that can impair breathing, movement, and facial function.

MSF has been the only provider of 3D-printed physiotherapy masks in Gaza since 2020, but since Israeli authorities revoked MSF’s registration to work in Palestine on December 3, 2025 — along with that of 37 other NGOs — we've been unable to get new supplies into Gaza. Only two functioning 3D scanners remain in the entire Strip, and spare parts for printers are also being blocked. Now we are running out of filament, a material needed to create each customized mask. We urge all relevant authorities to take immediate action to allow the delivery of essential medical supplies, equipment, and spare parts into Gaza.

Ibtihal, an MSF physiotherapist, fits a 3D mask on Joud, a 4-year-old burn patient, at a 3D physiotherapy workshop in MSF's clinic in Gaza City. — MSF physiotherapist Ibtihal Alwali fits a 3D mask on Joud, a 4-year-old burn patient, at the 3D physiotherapy workshop in MSF's clinic in Gaza City. | Palestine 2026 © Nour Alsaqqa/MSF

Using specialized software, physiotherapists scan 4-year-old Mohammed’s face to create a customized mask at MSF's clinic in Gaza City. — Using specialized software, physiotherapists scan 4-year-old Mohammed’s face to create a customized mask. | Palestine 2026 © Nour Alsaqqa/MSF

Ahmed Alqssass, an MSF physiotherapist, smooths the edges of a custom-made 3D mask to ensure a comfortable fit for burn patients at MSF’s 3D physiotherapy workshop in Gaza City.

From left: MSF physiotherapist Ahmed Alqssass smooths the edges of a custom-made 3D mask to ensure a comfortable fit; an old 3D-printed mask painted with a Spider-Man motif. Palestine 2026 © Nour Alsaqqa/MSF