The humanitarian situation of children in Gaza is getting worse by the day due to the continuation of the war and the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, the children of Gaza today live a tragic reality that exceeds the limits of perception, facing harsh humanitarian conditions due to the siege and war that turned their lives into a series of fear, hunger, and displacement. These children, who are supposed to be safe, educated and playful, now find themselves trapped in the rubble, lacking the most basic necessities of life.
What is the humanitarian situation for children in Gaza?
Children in the Gaza Strip live in one of the worst humanitarian disasters, where war and the ongoing siege have caused a severe deterioration in their daily living conditions. Instead of being safe, educated and cared for, these children have become direct victims of violence and deprivation. In the absence of protection, the humanitarian response has weakened. Some have lost limbs, others are still suffering serious injuries without proper treatment, due to the collapse of the health system.
The war has destroyed many schools and turned them into shelters for displaced people, depriving hundreds of thousands of children of their right to education. The lack of educational materials, and the constant interruption of electricity and the Internet, have hindered attempts at alternative education, and besides, children suffer from poor health care due to the acute lack of medicines and medical supplies, making them vulnerable to diseases without adequate treatment.
The economic and humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade and war has exacerbated the phenomenon of malnutrition among children, as many families are no longer able to provide for their basic needs, exposing children to multiple health risks. The humanitarian situation of children in Gaza requires immediate and effective intervention, as the continuation of this suffering poses a direct threat to the lives of an entire generation and undermines their basic rights to life, education, health and protection.
Despite the scale of the humanitarian disaster faced by children in Gaza, humanitarian assistance is intermittent and insufficient to cover the basic needs of children for food, medicine, blankets and clean water. Some aid is subject to political constraints, increasing suffering, and the environment in which children live in Gaza is not only unsafe, but constantly life-threatening.
How does war affect the humanitarian situation of children in Gaza?
The war in Gaza has had a disastrous impact on all segments of society, but children are the most vulnerable, many of whom have lost their parents or siblings in the rubble of their homes, and others who carry physical and psychological wounds on their small bodies. What is the guilt of these innocent people?
1. Targeting children
Since the start of the war, there have been 18,592 child martyrs in Gaza, thousands of children have lost limbs or been permanently disabled, and children have been exhumed from the rubble.
2. Malnutrition and hunger
Families in Gaza suffer from difficulty in accessing food and providing food, and as a result of this lack of food, children are vulnerable, malnutrition is prevalent, and many children have lost their lives as a result of starvation and the Israeli army preventing the entry of aid into the Strip.
Read more about The Siege and Famine in Gaza
3. Denial of education
Education in Gaza has been interrupted by the Israeli aggression on the Strip for almost two years, and hundreds of schools have been destroyed or turned into shelters, in addition to frequent electricity and Internet outages that prevent distance learning and exacerbate the deterioration of education.
4. Psychological impact
Children live in a state of constant fear, suffering from psychological disorders such as anxiety, insomnia, bedwetting, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the scenes of violence and destruction they witness have a long-term impact on their development.
Read more about Children in Gaza
5. The collapse of healthcare
Hospitals are understaffed, suffering from severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies, and children who are injured or ill are not receiving adequate treatment.
How can we help improve the humanitarian situation for children in Gaza?
Sawaeed Palestine Charity team is based on several campaigns aimed at providing support to children in Gaza, the most important of which are:
1. Gaza Children’s Clothing Campaign
In light of the difficult living conditions and the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, thousands of families lack the ability to provide clothing for their children, the campaign seeks to provide new clothes suitable for all ages of children, by donating to Gaza and contributing to its provision.
2. Campaign to Support Prisoners in Gaza
This campaign supports the children of prisoners in Gaza, in order to provide food meals and food chains, the children of prisoners in Gaza live a painful reality in which loss is mixed with deprivation.
3. Gaza Orphans Support Campaign
The war and siege in Gaza have left thousands of orphans who have lost their breadwinners and have found themselves facing life without any support.
