Pain and suffering engulfs Palestinian children in Gaza

Injured, thirsty, hungry frightened and shocked — the Gazan children are amid the horrors of the ongoing war in Gaza.

Lost their homes, loved ones, the safety to which they have a right — and in many casestheir lives.

Children, who make up nearly half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, have had their lives shattered by the Israeli brutal war, more than 16,000 have been killed and thousands more injured.

Since the  October 7 war started, along with the almost complete siege enforced on Gaza by Israel, including closed crossings, lack of essential resources like water and electricity have been critical factors contributing to the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. 

The Israeli war on Gaza has levelled entire neighbourhoods, led to the destruction of safe spaces and the denial of humanitarian aid access, leaving children in overcrowded shelters with limited means of entry to essential goods and services .

Besides, damage to water systems and drinking water contamination have resulted in a water shortage, putting children at high risk of dehydration and waterborne diseases — estimated that children only access an average of 1.5–2L of water every day, well below the recommended requirements for survival.

As well, lack of food has been creating a catastrophic hunger crisis, with nearly every child in Gaza at risk of famine. 

At least 23 children have already died from severe acute malnutrition and dehydration in Northern Gaza, with the youngest child only a few days old. 

Moreover, there is barely any health facility functioning as Israeli forces have bombarded most of hospitals, medical care centers, ambulances, medical aid convoys and access roads, decimating Gaza’s health system and undermining access to healthcare at the time when the 1.1 million children in Gaza need it most.

Nine months of violence, displacement, loss of relatives, deprivation, lack of water, starvation and disease on top of nearly 17 years of an Israeli blockade have caused relentless mental harm.

The emotional distress of dodging bombs and bullets, losing loved ones, being forced to flee through streets littered with debris and corpses, and waking up every morning not knowing if they will be able to eat has also left parents and caregivers increasingly unable to cope while the support, services and tools they need to care for their children are further and further out of reach.   

Mothers and fathers are absolutely devastated, trying whatever they can to keep their young ones alive, watching their babies perish in front of their eyes, simply because they cannot get them the water and food, they need to keep alive .

On the other hand, education of future generations of young Palestinians in Gaza is the other unspoken victim of this warand as there are 625,000 registered students in Gaza, no child has had formal education since October as relentless bombardment and hostilities have left nearly 90 per cent of all school buildings damaged or destroyed. 

About 261 teachers have been killed and 1.4 million people are now using most of schools especially the UNRWA ‘s as shelters.

Destruction of schools is a grave violation against children in conflict and  will have a lasting impact on a generation whose learning will remain in jeopardy even after hostilities cease.

The  Israeli ongoing daily military attacks especially the  latest repeated massacres committed against the civilians in displacement tents in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip shows its insistence on ignoring all international laws and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling and calling on it to immediately cease its attacks.

The number of dead, wounded, and orphaned children in Gaza increases every day andan immediate, definitive and long-lasting humanitarian ceasefire to save and protect their lives is urgently needed as without a ceasefire allowing for an adequate humanitarian response, the unfettered flow of aid and the safe resumption of entry of commercial goods into Gaza, children will die  of starvation and disease.

Nothing justifies the killing, maiming or abduction of children, they need to be protected, along with the remaining services that they rely on, including medical facilities and shelter. 

Even wars have rules andno child should be cut off from essential services, nor fall from the reach of humanitarian hands and any delay in bringing an end to the conflict will inevitably result in more devastating consequences for children as they are always the first to suffer in any war.