Introduction
In the Gaza Strip, a besieged and bombarded piece of land, children do not play; they die, flee, bury their parents, and witness the destruction of their world.
The Plight of Children in Gaza
Amidst this abyss, organizations like Save the Children persevere. They do not use firearms. Instead, they deliver blankets, play spaces, Arabic and math classes to shelters.
Under makeshift tents, children can cry without fear, speak without shouting, and sleep without bombs falling. Rachel, a seasoned humanitarian worker with two decades of experience, unambiguously states, “Gaza is the worst place in the world to be a child.” This is due to the sentence of hunger, orphanhood, mutilation, and emotional abandonment.
Devastating Statistics
Since October 7, the numbers are a grim arithmetic: over 55,000 deaths, with tens of thousands being children. Those who haven’t died are left alone, separated from their families, many taken in by relatives who were also killed. One tragedy follows another.
Every corner of Gaza has children bearing responsibilities they should not have to shoulder: caring for siblings, seeking water, queuing for a meal that may not arrive.
Save the Children’s Efforts
Save the Children does what it can, providing child-safe spaces, psychosocial support, medical and emotional care. But how does one address the mental health of a child who has witnessed their mother’s death, lost limbs in a bombing, and is starving?
In makeshift learning centers, children queue impatiently, not for toys but for a semblance of routine to escape the nightmare.
Education in Crisis
More than 90% of schools have been bombed or are occupied by displaced families. For 20 months, there has been no formal education. Yet, under these tattered war shadows, children cling to a glimmer of hope: learning, coexisting, counting to ten.
Hunger and Desperation
Hunger is universal in Gaza. Community kitchens provide one meal a day. Children queue for hours for a plate as the number of malnourished children grows alongside the lists of the missing. The figures aren’t printed on paper; they’re etched in bodies with protruding ribs and lifeless eyes. Gaza is on the brink of famine.
The Humanitarian Struggle
Even basic shelter is a luxury. Rachel Cummings, the humanitarian program director interviewed exclusively, reports that no supplies or essentials have entered for over 100 days. “Stores are empty. Families and children sleep in the open, exposed to extreme temperatures. Save the Children has distributed emergency kits, some clothing, and warmth. But it’s not enough. Nothing is sufficient.”
The economy is another form of torture, with unaffordable prices and a lack of cash. Despite distributing over $10 million in cash transfers in April and May, scarcity makes this money virtually useless. What Gaza needs isn’t just money; it needs a lasting ceasefire.
Emotional Devastation
Gaza is not only being bombarded with missiles; it’s being emotionally demolished. Each child has lost someone, many have lost everyone. Yet, Save the Children’s teams remain, acting as doctors, educators, and social workers who haven’t abandoned humanity amidst the inferno.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the situation for children in Gaza? Children in Gaza face unimaginable hardships, including hunger, orphanhood, mutilation, and emotional abandonment.
- What are Save the Children’s efforts? Save the Children provides child-safe spaces, psychosocial support, medical and emotional care, as well as educational opportunities.
- How is the education system affected? Over 90% of schools have been bombed or occupied, leading to a 20-month halt in formal education.
- What is the humanitarian situation? Basic supplies are scarce, the economy is in shambles, and a lasting ceasefire is desperately needed.
- How are children’s mental health and well-being addressed? Addressing the emotional trauma inflicted on children in Gaza requires comprehensive psychosocial support, which Save the Children and other organizations strive to provide.
