Gaza children are facing indescribable hell, in light of the extermination war launched by the Israeli occupation of the Strip since October 7, 2023.
Until December 2024 it was believed that more than half a million children in Gaza needed support in the areas of mental health and psychological and social support. Now, the cumulative effects of constant violence, forced displacement and the loss of two full academic years will affect the rest of their lives, according to the International Rescue Committee.
Currently, there are no safe havens in Gaza for civilians, and children bear the negative impact of this matter sharply. As continuous exposure to severe tension, including violence and displacement, during the formative years of the child’s life disrupts the health of the brain and organs, which leads to long -term health challenges.
Attaf, 53, and her family 10 times during the past year. “When we left our house, I thought that the war would only last 3 weeks. My daughters were only packed a summer clothes bag.”
Attaf describes the current situation, saying: “We hear a terrifying explosion every 3 minutes, day and night. This has a major impact on human psyche.”
Care and specialists report that children with shock are looking for comfort by clinging to others when hearing high sounds, suffering from nightmares and involuntary urination, and want to sleep under the bed to feel safe.
Ataf, her son, 26, was lost, and she does not know if he is still alive. In fact, it is estimated that 17,000 children were left without facilities or separate from their families in Gaza. Children who are not accompanied by their families and those who are separated from them face high risk of neglect, hunger and mental health effects.
Education in Gaza was disrupted
Gaza children lost two years of education, due to the destruction of school buildings and the collapse of the educational system.
According to reports, the impact of war and psychological trauma may delay the education of Gaza children for up to 5 years. As more than a year without education not only hinders their growth, it also deprives them of the safe spaces that schools had previously provided.
The miserable living conditions and attacks in densely populated areas, poor access to food and frequent displacement lead to serious health problems for Palestinian and newborn children and their mothers.
“We treat infants with infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and skin diseases. Of course, we witnessed this before the war, but today we are witnessing it much more, and the numbers are constantly increasing. We are witnessing overcrowding in the department, including children with acute pneumonia.
Doctors Without Borders face a huge number of patients. Between June and October 2024, MSF employed 3421 infants and a child under the age of five in the internal children’s wing at Nasser Hospital, and a quarter of them (22%) had diarrhea and 8.9% with meningitis.
During the same period, 168 newborns were received without one month, and more than 10 thousand and 800 children, between the ages of a year and 5, received medical consultations in the emergency room at Nasser Hospital for the treatment of upper respiratory infections. Moreover, about 1,294 children between the ages of a year and 5 were entered to Nasser Hospital for the treatment of lower respiratory infections, including about 459 cases of pneumonia.
A year of war has destroyed the health system and the opportunities to obtain care.
Mothers
Mothers in Gaza risk the risk of their children and their children to hospitals and the remaining remaining health centers. Where they are forced to travel for long distances in unsafe roads on foot or on animal carts, in dusty and densely populated areas, to reach medical facilities. This journey endangers children and newborns at the risk of attacking and exposing them to a great risk of health complications. Even after receiving treatment, newborns and children return to unhealthy living conditions, which in turn leads to a deterioration of their health and their ability to recover properly.
In the face of inappropriate living conditions, a lack of hygiene and food products, and under constant pressure, a large number of mothers – who suffer from malnutrition – give birth to children and have increased the risk of postpartum complications. This crisis is exacerbated by the acute shortage of medical and non -medical supplies in health facilities and hospitals.
Families live in overcrowded tents or under plastic covers and mixed fabrics, without clean water, sewage services, cleaning supplies, including soap, and other basic needs.
“I do not have diapers to my son. Even the appropriate clothes for him are not enough, I have to use a plastic bag, and this exposes his skin for more infections and rash. Live in a tent that exposes my children to harsh conditions, they sleep even without a suitable bed.”
Dr. Abu Tim says that the war has greatly affected everyone, especially children in the growth stage, due to the lack of nutritious food and essential nutrients, which affected the health of newborns and children and on building their immunity, which made them more vulnerable to infectious diseases.
Inappropriate living conditions
“My son is constantly coughing,” she added. I spend most of my time in the hospital. My son does not laugh, does not play, and does not drink milk. He sleeps all the time. The doctor says that he should be removed from the fire (to prevent coughing), but how do we do that? Everything is cooked on the fire.
Conditions in Gaza cause serious health problems for children and infants. From June to October, MSF has witnessed huge numbers of young patients with diseases such as acute diarrhea, meningitis and respiratory infections.
In light of inappropriate living conditions, and a lack of hygiene and food products, many pregnant women live in a state of constant tension, which leads to the birth of a large number of them- and many of them suffer from malnutrition- kids cheeks and face an increasing risk of postpartum complications.
This crisis is exacerbated by the acute shortage of medical and non -medical supplies to treat these types of complications in health facilities and hospitals. The Israeli siege on Gaza left hospitals and health care facilities throughout the sector without appropriate supplies and medicines such as paracetamol and antibiotics.
According to a statement issued by Edward Besbider, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa, last March, speaking about Gaza’s children, “He killed and wounded tens of thousands of children.”